Sonia Horon, Global Animal
Recently, PETA released a video of a cruel animal testing practice at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) called Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). In most universities, this procedure is performed on a simulator, but for some reason the antiquated system at WUSTL allows students to perform this traumatic procedure on nine live cats, and sometimes even up to 15 gruelling intubations per session.
The fight against the medical school’s inhumane practice of using anesthetized live cats as a way to simulate the soft tissues in a baby’s airway has been ongoing since January 2009 when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) began investigating PETA’s complaints of animal cruelty.
Washington University maintains that it passed the USDA inspection, claiming the government agency “found no violations.”
Following the release of PETA’s video, “The Price Is Right” host Bob Barker—known for his immense dislike of animal experiments—sent a letter to the school’s chancellor offering $75,000 to buy the state-of-the-art pediatric simulators to spare the cats from this harrowing experience.
Barker mentioned that, “a recent study from neighboring Saint Louis University School of Medicine found that using a simulator in its PALS courses—which don’t include any animal laboratories—substantially improved trainees’ intubation skills.”
In his letter, the Missouri native expressed that he was “deeply troubled” by by his wife’s former medical school’s use of live cats “for no good reason.”
The legendary game show host added that it would be his pleasure to find homes for the nine cats living at Washington University.
Help Bob Barker in his mission to put an end to WUSTL’s cruel animal practice and sign the petition urging the university to modernize.
httpv://youtu.be/hl8g-DNwni0
