AR-News: body donation submission now available for campus campaigns

Sat Feb 21 14:23:35 EST 2004

From: Andrew Knight 

  interniche-l at interniche.org 

  Sent: Friday, February 20, 2004 11:38 PM

  Subject: [interniche-l] body donation submission now available for campus campaigns

  Hi everyone.

  To my knowledge, four US and two Australian vet schools have attempted to establish educational memorial programs (EMPs), in which clients donate the remains of their pets euthanased for medical reasons in vet teaching hospitals to veterinary education. They may be used for anatomy dissection, simulated surgeries as part of alternative (non-lethal) surgical laboratories, and for clinical skills laboratories. In nearly all cases they provide alternatives to exercises for which animals would normally be killed. 

  Around 2000 Linnaea Stull and Lori Donley extensively researched existing US EMPs, the result of which was the outstanding HSUS website www.educationalmemorial.org.

  In 2002 I was asked to assist with a campaign for the introduction of an EMP at Virginia Tech vet school. I took Linnaea and Lori’s outstanding website, added information from Australian schools, and turned it into a submission suitable for submission to a veterinary school. Topics included ethical concerns about traditional sources of cadavers, existing EMPs, educational benefits of cadavers, client relations, cadaver procurement, establishment of an EMP, embalming protocols, and more. A cover letter included signatories from local and national animal rights groups, present and former students, and local residents. The purpose of seeking signatures from as many national AR groups as possible was to let the school know that the issue was being monitored by the AR movement and that they should consequently expect major exposure if they proved unwilling to make reasonable progress within a reasonable timeframe. In my experience major media exposure is commonly successful in encouraging the replacement of harmful animal use in education with humane alternatives.

  The strong ethical concerns of certain students about animals killed for their education have been the catalyst for the creation of many, if not all, existing EMPs. There is absolutely no good reason why EMPs cannot and should not spread to veterinary schools across the US, Australia, New Zealand, and indeed, around the world.

  My submission is now online at www.avar.org ‘Educational/Student Resources’ and, I understand, will soon be placed on the www.inteniche.org website too, in order that it be easily available for re-use by others. For time-limited people the only essential change required is a new cover letter.

  Highly successful EMPs such as the one at Tufts have enormous potential to reduce or end the killing of animals for anatomy, surgical and clinical skills veterinary training, and potentially bring other economic and educational benefits, such as providing a variety of breeds and case histories. Properly argued, the case for the establishment of an EMP seems near impossible to counter; certainly more easy than arguing for the abolition of terminal preclinical laboratories or surgeries.

  I sincerely urge people to consider writing a new cover letter, collecting signatures, and submitting a submission for the introduction of an EMP at their school. With a willingness to engage in persistent follow-up, and to push schools where necessary, such as by including national animal rights groups as co-signatories, I believe chances of success should be good. I succeeded at my vet school, without any of these tools.

  I also have submissions available on eliminating terminal physiology labs and establishing a formal conscientious objection policy, which have also been successful. Similarly, these can be reused fairly easily to help end terminal physiology labs and bring in conscientious objection policies. Some of these may also be available on the www.avar.org or www.interniche.org websites. Should anyone need help, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

  Cheers,

  Andrew Knight

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