PETA asks military to
end testing on animals
By JAYMES SONG
Associated Press Writer
Jul. 29, 2008
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a
letter Monday to Defense Secretary Robert Gates asking him to replace the use
of animals with non-animal methods such as human simulators.
In the letter, PETA said the military inflects gunshot, burn
and chemical wounds on monkeys, pigs and goats for training.
"This outmoded practice is not only cruel, but is a
disservice to the men and women who risk their lives in defense of our country
and who deserve the most effective trauma training methods available,"
wrote Kathy Guillermo, director of the PETA's
Laboratory Investigations Department.
The Pentagon did not immediately return calls seeking
comment.
PETA's letter comes 10 days after
the group failed to prevent the Army from shooting live pigs and treating their
gunshot wounds in a medical trauma exercise at Schofield Barracks in
The Army said the training is critical to teach soldiers how
to manage critically injured patients within the first few hours of their
injuries when there are no medics, doctors or facilities nearby.
PETA believes the military's Combat Trauma Patient
Simulation system, which is being used at other bases such as
PETA noted the Department of Defense's animal welfare policy
that states, "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."
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