Live-Animal Trauma Training Needs to End

Posted by on August 23, 2013 | Permalink

Did you know that the British Army “trains” personnel by making them shoot, stab and break the bones of live pigs? These barbaric exercises go on despite the fact that humane alternatives exist, and they appear to violate EU law.

We’ve just appealed to European Commission Director-General for Environment Karl Falkenberg urging him to launch an investigation into deadly medical trauma training on animals that is being conducted by the militaries of Denmark, Norway, Poland and the UK. JMcArthur-0932

Directive 2010/63/EU states that animals must not be used when non-animal options are available. As we point out, 22 out of the 28 NATO nations currently use exclusively non-animal trauma training models such as lifelike human-patient simulators, mannequins and hospital rounds. It’s perfectly possible to maintain a first-class modern military without abusing and mutilating animals in the process: in fact, these high-tech methods are better preparation for saving lives on the battlefield.

In November 2012, we revealed that British soldiers were taking part in these appalling exercises, despite the fact that it’s illegal to treat animals this way in the UK. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been sending recruits to Denmark to take part in drills in which live pigs are lined up at a firing range and shot with high-velocity bullets. Some of the animals sustain organ injuries and multiple bone fractures – any who survive are later killed.

Veterans Oliver Stone and Gideon Raff have both spoken out against these cruel training methods, and now we’re asking EU officials to do the same and order the four countries who still employ them to desist.

Animals don’t start wars, and there’s no excuse for torturing them in these archaic “war games”. Please take action by sending your own letter to the MoD here: http://petauk.org/mod

Image: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals

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