|
Dear Mr. Suconik, The U.S. military continues to use live
animals in medical training even though superior nonanimal
methods are widely available. PCRM and Rep. Steve Rothman
from New Jersey are working to end animal use in these
courses, and we need your help. Please urge your
representative to cosign Rothman's letter asking the
military to end animal use in medical training.
Contact your representative now.
It is time for the military to modernize its medical
teaching methods and forgo animal use in all training of
infantry, medics, and physicians. Today, 95 percent of
medical schools no longer use animals to teach medical
students, and the trend in advanced medical training is away
from animal use.
In trauma training courses, the military is shooting pigs
in the face, repeatedly exposing monkeys to a neurotoxin,
and amputating goats’ legs with gardening tools. This animal
use violates the Department of Defense’s (DOD) own animal
welfare regulation, which states that, “Alternative methods
to the use of animals must be considered and used if such
alternatives produce scientifically valid or equivalent
results to attain the research, education, training, and
testing objectives.” Nonanimal methods are widely available
and can handle every aspect of military medical training.
These methods range from high-tech simulators to commonsense
approaches, like the use of military and civilian trauma
centers.
Rothman is sending a letter to the DOD urging it to take
full advantage of advanced technology that replicates human
anatomy and the hectic environment of war. But first, he is
asking his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives
to join him.
Please urge your representative to help Rothman end the
use of animals in military medical training—soldiers would
benefit from better training, and countless animals' lives
would be spared.
Ask your representative to cosign Rothman’s letter asking
the DOD to adopt better methods in medical training.
Call or
e-mail your representative today, and then
forward this message to your friends. Thank you for your
help.
With warm regards,
 |