It's a dirty job, but …

Saturday, May 9, 2009 - 05:07 in Psychology & Sociology

From abortion doctors to animal testers, there are many jobs that require those who do them to develop a thick skin – so how do the people who perform controversial jobs justify their work?Simon Walters has been doing his job for 20 years. "I've always loved animals. I work with dogs, primates, marmosets and rabbits; I feed and water them, train and socialise them and even give them names. How can you not?" he asks. "They are our colleagues, our mates and that's why I really enjoy my work."Walters has passion, job satisfaction and the realisation of a childhood dream. It sounds perfect, but you might change your mind when you hear that his "colleagues" are also dosed daily as part of toxicology studies. Walters works in an animal testing laboratory.Did that hit a nerve? For all of our outward insouciance these days there are plenty of careers that most...

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