MISGUIDED? GOOD DEEDS

Thursday night’s TV news and a headline in Friday’s Star Ledger read “No more live dogs in medical training.

Animal activists had forced Morristown medical center to give up using dogs for invasive procedures teaching purposes.

The charge is cruelty to animals. I too as most ethical humans will not tolerate or condone cruelty to any animal. Remarkably the group whose objections precipitated Morristown Hospital’s decision did not seem to object to the use of pigs

I will submit, however, that in these incidents the “do-gooders” are once again missing an essential fact by disregarding that the dogs are under anesthesia and those who are permanently damaged are painlessly put to death.

Although the source of the animals  was not mentioned, I would presume that they were from  shelters and were scheduled for euthanization because of an excessive long stay and no possibility of adoption.

.It has been by the use of these dogs, many human lives that would have been lost are saved. When new surgical or invasive procedures are developed the physician must learn the techniques and hone his skills. This is where it can be done without jeopardizing a human life due to poor training. I am sure that many protestors have unknowingly benefited from doctors having become skilled by first using dogs.

There cannot be adequate substitution for on hands training by the use of virtual computerized procedures.

We must always balance the potential good for humanity against sacrificing an animal or destroying the environment of a species variation before condemnation.