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

FROM

Physicians Committee
April 2016

[NOTE: Also see Alternatives to Animal Testing, Experimentation and Dissection]

ACTION

Please take a minute to ask the University of Washington Board of Regents president to replace the use of live pigs in the school’s paramedic training program with validated human-relevant methods.

using pigs

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 with human-relevant training methods.
  • Anatomical differences between pigs and humans render this type of training suboptimal.
  • Other regional programs and 99 percent of ATLS 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.

Complete the online form here addressed to William S. Ayer – Chair, University of Washington Board of Regents.

And/Or better yet, make direct contact:

William S. Ayer
Chair, University of Washington Board of Regents
139 Gerberding Hall
Box 351264
Seattle, WA 98195-1264
phone (206) 543-1633
fax (206) 543-6110
[email protected]

INFORMATION

SAMPLE LETTER:

I am writing to ask that the University of Washington Board of Regents use its authority and influence to ensure that UW ceases the use of animals in its paramedic training program. The program instructs trainees to make an incision into the throat of a live pig to insert a breathing tube. This procedure is performed up to six times by multiple trainees on each pig. At the end of each session, the animals are killed. However, emergency airway management is routinely taught in other paramedic, emergency medicine, and trauma programs using purpose-designed human simulators which allow trainees to repeatedly perform procedures and hone their technique. The current UW animal use is providing substandard training to Washington's paramedics, nurses, and emergency medical technicians.

Nonanimal training methods are widely implemented at paramedic training programs across the Pacific Northwest. In addition, 99 percent of Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) programs in the United States and Canada (274 of 276) do not use animals for the training of surgical airway or any other skills. In addition, earlier this year the Department of Defense ended the use of animals for military ATLS training, after careful review, determined that simulation is suitable to replace animal use.

UW already owns the simulators that could replace the use of animals in paramedic training immediately. Please urge the faculty in charge of UW's paramedic training program to make the switch to human-relevant methods and end the use of animals for teaching procedural skills. Thank you for your time and dedication to improving training at the University of Washington.


Thank you for everything you do for animals!


Return to Action Alerts

Other information you may find useful for your activism

Find area codes
Find zip codes
Find your state legislators