The Physicians Comittee for Responsible Medicine needs your help to
stop the abuse of ferrets by East Carolina University. Please e-mail
Dr. Cunningham today and ask him to replace the use of animals in ECU's
pediatrics residency program.

PCRM filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
explaining that the school is violating the federal Animal Welfare Act
by using live ferrets in its pediatrics residency program. Please help
this effort by asking the school to end the use of animals today.

In the pediatrics residency program at East Carolina University (ECU)
breathing tubes are pushed down the throats of live ferrets to teach
endotracheal intubation. This painful procedure is repeated numerous
times on each animal and is known to pose risks for tracheal bleeding,
bruising, and severe trauma. Nonanimal training methods exist, making
this use of animals not only cruel but unnecessary.

According to documents obtained by PCRM, all of the ferrets used in
this training lab are killed when they are deemed no longer useful.
What's more, ECU purchases ferrets from Marshall BioResources of North
Rose, N.Y., which breeds animals for use in experimentation. Since Oct.
8, 2008, this breeding facility has been cited by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) for 16 violations of the federal Animal Welfare
Act, including violations for unsanitary conditions in buildings that
house ferrets.

So far, the responsible ECU faculty and administrators have ignored
pleas to change this practice. Please e-mail ECU Brody School of
Medicine dean Paul R.G. Cunningham, M.D., F.A.C.S., and urge him to
end this cruel and unnecessary practice. Send an automatic e-mail.

Gaumard's Premie HAL and PREMIE Blue simulators, designed to mimic the
airway of a premature newborn; Laerdal's SimNewB, which was developed
in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics; and METI's
BabySim can all be used for this type of training.

Ninety-five percent of pediatrics residency programs in the United
States and Canada do not use animals. It is time for ECU to join the
majority. Please e-mail Dr. Cunningham today and ask him to replace
the use of animals in ECU's pediatrics residency program.

You can read our complaint to the USDA here.Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

John J. Pippin, M.D., F.A.C.C.
Director of Academic Affairs

Please help the ferrets by contacting the university as well as
spreading the word on FB, Twitter, email... It does make a difference.
Be their voice. Thank you.
Anita
http://www.pcrm.org/email/ecu_alert0412.html

The greatness of a society and its moral progress can be judged by the
way it treats its animals.
~Mahatma Gandhi

[Posted in FML 7554]