In the late 1970s, while working in my laboratory
at the American Health Foundation, I received a phone call
from Henry Spira. Not one for small talk, he did not even
bother introducing himself beyond his name. He immediately
began questioning me about my studies using the protozoan
Tetrahymena thermophila, which I hoped would serve
as an alternative to the Draize ocular irritation test.
While flattered that someone cared about my work, I was
soon lost in confusion and skepticism about the true purpose
of his call. Who was Henry Spira? Why did he want to visit
my animal facility and why did he want to bring a physician
colleague with him? Not only was I naive about the budding
opposition to the Draize test, I was equally naive that
it was Spira, an ardent animal protectionist, who was leading
the fight. This seminal interaction began a friendship
that spanned nearly twenty years; a friendship that indelibly
changed my perception of nonhuman animals and how I relate
to them.