The U.S. military continues to train personnel in combat trauma courses using
animals when superior human-relevant methods are widely available. The
animals—more than 8,500 goats and pigs each year—are killed during or after
training sessions. But members of Congress from both sides of the aisle are
working to change that.
Military personnel
demonstrate a high-fidelity training method called the “Cut Suit,” which is worn
by an actor and features repairable skin, breakable bones, user created wounds,
and variable blood flow.
Today, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), and Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) introduced the BEST Practices Act. This bill will replace the use of animals with superior human-relevant methods in order to protect our troops, save animals, and save taxpayer money.
Please call your House representative today. You don’t need to know who your representative is, and it is easy to do. Simply call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and let the operator know where you live. Ask to contact your representative’s office.
Please be polite and encouraging when you call. Here are some talking points:
The BEST Practices Act will require the Department of Defense (DOD) to use only human-based methods for training members of the Armed Forces in the treatment of severe combat injuries. The DOD currently uses more than 8,500 live pigs and goats each year in combat trauma training courses to train physicians, medics, corpsmen, and other personnel in trauma care methods. In some of the courses, the animals are shot, stabbed, and/or burned, while trainees are instructed to keep them alive as long as possible. At the end of each course, the animals are killed.
Replacing the use of animals in combat trauma training courses is imperative to ensure that our troops receive the most effective training. The anatomical features of pigs and goats differ greatly from our own and do not allow for translating what is learned during courses to the care of human casualties. This is a critical difference when trying to perform medical procedures in the chaos of combat.
After you call, please take a minute to send an e-mail to your representative and senators by clicking here.
For more information, please go to www.BESTPracticesAct.org.
Thank you for your help.
Today, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), and Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) introduced the BEST Practices Act. This bill will replace the use of animals with superior human-relevant methods in order to protect our troops, save animals, and save taxpayer money.
Please call your House representative today. You don’t need to know who your representative is, and it is easy to do. Simply call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and let the operator know where you live. Ask to contact your representative’s office.
Please be polite and encouraging when you call. Here are some talking points:
- As your constituent, I am calling to ask that you please sign on as a co-sponsor of the BEST Practices Act (H.R. 1095).
- In the House, Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) and Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) are the leads. In the Senate, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is the lead.
- The BEST Practices Act would modernize military medical training by replacing the use of animals with human-relevant simulators.
- These simulators are superior to using animals and are already used by many military institutions, the civilian sector, and by many other countries.
- Despite the availability of this modern and effective technology, the military continues to shoot, stab, burn, and amputate the limbs of more than 8,500 pigs and goats each year.
- The BEST Practices Act will improve troop safety, save animals, and save taxpayer money by modernizing military medicine. Please co-sponsor today.
The BEST Practices Act will require the Department of Defense (DOD) to use only human-based methods for training members of the Armed Forces in the treatment of severe combat injuries. The DOD currently uses more than 8,500 live pigs and goats each year in combat trauma training courses to train physicians, medics, corpsmen, and other personnel in trauma care methods. In some of the courses, the animals are shot, stabbed, and/or burned, while trainees are instructed to keep them alive as long as possible. At the end of each course, the animals are killed.
Replacing the use of animals in combat trauma training courses is imperative to ensure that our troops receive the most effective training. The anatomical features of pigs and goats differ greatly from our own and do not allow for translating what is learned during courses to the care of human casualties. This is a critical difference when trying to perform medical procedures in the chaos of combat.
After you call, please take a minute to send an e-mail to your representative and senators by clicking here.
For more information, please go to www.BESTPracticesAct.org.
Thank you for your help.
