End the Suffering of Cats at the University of Virginia

Originally Posted: May 25, 2012

End the Suffering of Cats at the University of Virginia

[Ed. Note: Another action alert to help these cats - Ask the University of Virginia to End the Use of Cats in Its Pediatrics Residency]

FROM Robyn Gianotti

ACTION

Help rescue the cats currently suffering and imprisoned at the University of Virginia medical school intubation lab and see to it that they are forever replaced with neonatal simulators.

We are a rapidly expanding group of serious, dedicated, compassionate animal advocates organizing on facebook. We welcome and urge all like minded animal advocates to join us:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/144828258983731/ 

INFORMATION / TALKING POINTS

For decades, an untold number of cats have suffered at the Medical School of the University of Virginia. They have endured years of daily, repeated (up to 20 times a day), practice sessions of intubation at the hands of paediatric residents.

These cats are used to teach pediatric intubation in spite of the fact that superior, non-animal alternatives: the purpose-built, anatomically correct neonatal simulators, already in use by 95% of US med schools, are readily available.

James P Natarro, MD, PhD, Pediatrics Chair, UVA, refuses to accept and embrace modern scientific advancement. Our goal, by whatever means necessary, is to stop this before the beginning of Spring term, 2013, when UV will purchase more cats from their current disreputable Class A dealer, Liberty Research, a company that the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited for more than 20 Animal Welfare Act violations between July 2009 and April 2011.

UVA has a new medical simulation center, and they already have an infant simulator. They easily replaced the dog lab with a suitable simulation course in 2004, and could obviously do the same with the intubation lab.

We believe continued pressure on the medical school dean and the head of the pediatrics department will eventually lead to change.

We are supported and featured on the websites of the Animal Liberation Front and Our Compass.

We are wholeheartedly committed to "being the change we want to see in the world" and our goals are realistic and within reach!

We have joined in unity for this purpose: To rescue the cats currently suffering and imprisoned at the University of Virginia medical school intubation lab and see to it that they are forever replaced with neonatal simulators.  

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Thank you for everything you do for animals!