New York Medical College killing Dogs

[Guest]

Victory!

(11/26/07) VALHALLA - The controversial dissection of live dogs at New York Medical College in Valhalla has come to an end.

For decades, first-year physiology students at the school were expected to dissect live dogs to train for surgical procedures.

Putting man's best friend under the knife is something animal lover Bob Funck pushed to get abolished at the college. “It's very disturbing …impossible to justify animals for this training program,†said Funck.

A special committee at New York Medical College has reviewed the policy and recommended it be eliminated. Students will now use echocardiography, which are reflected ultrasonic waves that can provide them with the same information.

Video : http://news12.cv.net/video/BW126VHT.wmv

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this goes to show, voices are heard. after i called news 12 about 1 month ago and email a reporter some literature, they said they would have to do a full investigation before they air anything. and they kept their word and through all that goes through the public eye, we have done justice for innocent, helpless dogs!!

i give most credit to the NYMC students and NYMC community for voicing their opinions of what they felt is wrong!!

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Way to stand up to a cause and to bring a resolution in a very democratic way. I applaud you who stood up for what you believed in and got change in a very civil manner. Kudos to you.

[ckroll 101]

It is welcome to see us handling an emotional issue with respect, and it is an emotional issue. One of the issues with dog studies is that facilities look for animals of a certain size that is manageable and there is quite a market for them. A suitable animal can be worth hundreds of dollars. That makes pets targets and it happens often. Stealing is much cheaper than breeding and two people and a van can make thousands of dollars a day. About the only way to stop it is to dry up the market.

Beyond that, live, or dead for that matter, anatomical study on species other than humans has precious little value. While we share general conformation, positional differences are great. Organs evolved during the quadraped period. Bipedalism is quite recent, causing organs to rotate downward in humans. It explains a number of physiological problems humans have and why respiratory patients 'tripod' to reduce work of breathing. The systems weren't designed for optimal function upright.

That said, when doing intubation rotations in paramedic school I talked myself into observing a CABG operation and got to watch a chest get opened, a heart stopped, repaired and restarted. That was valuable beyond words. Seeing the relationship between living human organs and how it is managed both physically and with medications is just incredible. And with prior approval, people with medical interest are welcome to watch autopsies. I went down to see the inside of a traumatic arrest I'd worked on and it was remarkably educational. The internet has vast, excellent, resources.

Animal studies for human conditions, if they ever had value, lost it in the last decade. If one draws the line for respect for life to include all sentient species, there are a number of organizations, NEAVS, [New England Anti-Vivisection Society], FACT [Food Animal Concern Trust] that work to stop abuse and misuse of our furred and feathered brothers and sisters without making the unfortunate headlines that PETA has. And there is always adoption.

Kudos to those who work for what they believe in and those wise enough to look compassionately at a situation and find a better way.