Tell the University of Washington to End the Use of Live Animals for Paramedic Training
Action Alert from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Physicians Committee
November 2014

ACTION

Please take a minute to ask the University of Washington's Dean of the School of Medicine Paul G. Ramsey, M.D. to replace the use of pigs in the school’s paramedic training program with validated human-based training methods. We have provided text for you, but if you decide to write your own message, please be polite and encouraging. Here are some talking points:

  • Please replace the use of pigs in the University of Washington’s paramedic training program.
  • Anatomical differences between pigs and humans render this type of training suboptimal.
  • Other regional programs teaching the same procedures do not use animals
  • UW has a state-of-the-art simulation center that could replace the use of animals immediately.

Sign online petition here

And/Or better yet, make direct contact:

Paul G. Ramsey, M.D.
CEO, UW Medicine
Dean of the School of Medicine
850 Republican Street
Administration Building
Seattle WA 98109
(206) 543-6116

Michael Young
President
University of Washington
301 Gerberding Hall
Box 351230
Seattle WA 98195
[email protected]

INFORMATION / TALKING POINTS

I am writing to ask that you end the use of pigs in the University of Washington's paramedic training program. The use of live animals for this purpose is cruel and unnecessary. UW's course is the only one in the Pacific Northwest known to use live animals. The other programs use human-based methods for this type of training. Please end this practice immediately. 

The invasive procedures taught using pigs at UW include inserting needles and wires into the trachea and cutting holes in the trachea to restore the airway. These procedures are performed up to five times by multiple trainees on each animal. After the exercise, they are killed. All of these procedures are routinely taught at other paramedic programs using purpose-designed human simulators.

According to the Physicians Committee's survey of regional paramedic training programs, UW's course is the only one of 11 responding programs using animals for this purpose. The anatomical differences between animals and humans render this training suboptimal. With its state-of-the-art simulation center, UW could end this practice immediately.

We originally contacted UW in March 2012 to ask that it replace the use of animals for paramedic training. Please tell Mr. Young and Dr. Ramsey that it’s time to make a change.  


Thank you for everything you do for animals!


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