School’s Decision Will Save Hundreds of Animals a Year
For Immediate Release:
November 2, 2011
Contact:
Robbyn Brooks 202-483-7382
Sherbrooke, Québec -- After hearing from PETA about modern, non-animal alternatives to cutting into frogs, rats, and mice in its science and health professional training courses, College of General and Vocational Education (Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel, CÉGEP) officials informed PETA that the school has reduced the number of animals used in classroom laboratories by 50 percent, thus saving the lives of hundreds of frogs, mice, and rats each year. To celebrate CÉGEP's decision, PETA has offered to donate educational software to the university.
"CÉGEP's decision is a major shift toward sparing all animals from being cut up and killed in classroom exercises," says PETA Vice President of Laboratory Investigations Kathy Guillermo. "And since studies have repeatedly shown that modern simulators are the most effective way to teach anatomy and biology, CÉGEP's decision will benefit its students too."
In a letter to PETA, CÉGEP explained that the school has decreased by 400 the number of frogs, by 135 the number of rats, and by 30 the number of mice used every year. The school has switched completely to modern simulators for injection and intubation training—the most invasive procedures—and made modifications in its science pre-university programs to avoid duplicative laboratories, as well.
For more information, please visit PETA's website StopAnimalTests.com.