Meg Aebig

"Building on my MA work, which examined the mental health and well-being of veterinarians in Ontario, Canada, my current research focuses on the mental health and well-being of workers in animal-care occupations who are directly involved in both the caring and killing of animals. Building on this foundation, my dissertation will use the caring-killing paradox as a conceptual anchor to examine impacts of work on mental health and well-being across four distinct yet interconnected occupations: veterinary medicine, animal research, farming, and animal processing (slaughterhouses). Each of these occupations will serve as a case study, allowing for both comparative and relational insights into how work conditions, cultural expectations, and ethical tensions shape workers’ experiences. While these occupations differ in terms of education requirements, autonomy, and societal recognition, they share similar challenges, including high rates of mental health struggles, exposure to moral and ethical dilemmas, and the emotional labour of balancing care with harm. Through this approach, my research seeks to illuminate common threads and key differences across animal-care occupations.”