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The US Army will end its practice of shooting pigs and goats to help prepare doctors to treat wounded soldiers in the battlefield, ending a practice made obsolete by simulators that mimic battlefield injuries.
A ban on “live fire” training involving animals is part of this year’s annual defense bill, although other uses of animals for wartime training would continue. The ban was supported by Representative Vern Buchanan. Florida republican Which often focus on animal rights issues.
Buchanan described the change as “a major step forward in reducing unnecessary suffering in military practices.”
“With today’s advanced simulation technology, we can prepare our doctors for the battlefield while minimizing harm to animals,” he said in a statement to The Associated Press. “As co-chair of the Animal Protection Caucus, I am proud to continue leading efforts to end outdated and inhumane practices.”
Buchanan’s office said Department of Defense Training that includes stabbing, burning and using blunt instruments on animals will continue to be allowed, while “weapon wounding”, which occurs when the military tests weapons on animals, is also allowed. Animal rights groups say animals should be sedated during such training and testing.
The Pentagon referred comments on the new policy to the Defense Health Agency, which oversees training. The agency said in an email that it was considering new restrictions.
Groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals announced the victory, saying the change would save thousands of animals’ lives each year and “marks a historic shift toward cutting-edge, human-relevant simulation technology.”
It is unclear how often the military uses animals for training. According to a 2022 report, previous defense bills and other pieces of legislation have sought to reduce their use for trauma training. Government Accountability Officean independent agency that provides services Congress,
The GAO said a 2013 defense bill required the Pentagon to submit a report outlining a strategy for transitioning to human-based training methods. The 2018 statute required the Secretary of Defense to ensure that the military uses simulation technology “to the maximum extent practical” or unless the use of animals is deemed necessary by the medical chain of command.
The animals are placed under anesthesia and then euthanized, the GAO report said.
“While live animals such as pigs and goats are used in trauma training because their organs and tissues are similar to those of humans, they have biological variation that can complicate treatment and provide opportunities to control medical conditions,” the report said.
But groups like the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine say the anesthetized pigs and goats do little to prepare doctors or corpsmen to treat wounded soldiers. He said that the advent of “cut suits” worn by people is much better able to mimic an injured human being writhing and writhing.
“The big argument is that this is a living, breathing thing that they have to take care of and there’s a level of realism to it,” said Erin Griffith, a retired Navy doctor and physician committee member. “But replicating what happens when their friend gets shot and is bleeding and wakes up is very different.”