Another Hidden Side of Animal Research No One Talks About

When working undercover in animal labs, I knew it would be hard. But it was worse than I could have ever imagined. What animals endure is beyond words. That is undeniable. 

What I didn’t expect was how many lab workers felt the same way I did—heartbroken, traumatized, stuck. They often didn’t want to be part of it, but they didn’t know how to leave. And they had nowhere to turn.

Inside labs, you’re either part of the system or you’re labeled an enemy, an activist. There’s no in-between.

But in reality? There’s a huge in-between.

Many people enter that industry without fully understanding what it involves. Once inside, they see things they can’t unsee and do things that weigh heavily on their conscience. Some leave quietly. Some try to make change from within. Many suffer in silence.

This made me realize there needed to be an organization to help these individuals and it was my mission to make that happen. 

Several years ago, I serendipitously met Madeline Krasno and Mallory Cormier who had also worked inside labs, but not as investigators. They went in as “regular” employees and came out traumatized. At the time, they were looking for something that didn’t exist: a space where they could be honest about what they saw and how it affected them, without being judged or attacked.

They were looking for Justify. 

Maddie and Mallory helped shape what was just an idea into a reality and what is now known as Justify—a nonprofit that amplifies the voices of people who’ve worked in or been exposed to animal experimentation, and builds bridges for those who want to speak out, heal, or take action.

We’re also very grateful to have the esteemed John Gluck on our board–a former researcher who spent decades testing on animals and was brave enough to speak out against an industry that was once his home. 

Maddie, Mallory, and John are all now powerful animal advocates and proof that change is possible when people are supported, not shamed.

At our core, we are here for the animals, and we are building the bridge to their freedom with the humans who once worked with them. It’s that suffering and connection that compels people on the inside to change—to speak out, to walk away, to fight for something better. 

Justify exists to support them, so we can end the suffering where it begins. 

Lindsay Oliver, Mayo Asada (former research assistant), and Madeline Krasno