Pioneering Vet School Rejects Vivisection

by Sherry Morse

Students at Western University’s new College of Veterinary Medicine in Pomona, California will practice what is known as "no-harm" medicine - without vivisection.

At most veterinary schools live animals are bought from pounds or biomedical firms. The animals are operated on by students and later euthanized.

At Western University, however, only donated animals will be used - either those that have died of natural causes or have been euthanized because of illness or old age.

Prior to classes, the owners of the donated dogs met with students to tell them about their deceased pets.

Rebecca Merlo, a student at Western said, "I don’t know that I could dissect an animal knowing it was killed for that purpose. I’m glad I don’t have to be a part of that."

School leaders say this new technique will be a revolution in the way veterinary medicine is taught and practiced in the United States.

Western has also done away with lecturing, which is considered boring and ineffective. Instead students will participate in courses where they are presented with theoretical case studies and later they will train with real vets in clinics throughout Southern California.

Dr. Shirley D. Johnston, the founding dean of the college and the only woman dean of a veterinary college in the nation, said, "Our college is founded on the commitments to student-centered learning, a reverence-for-life philosophy, and strategic partnerships and alliances."

The goal of the reverence-for-life philosophy, according to the college, is to bring about compassion and respect for all living things throughout the education experience.

Ethics is strongly emphasized at Western, which features a required two-year ethics course taught by Gini Barrett, a former lobbyist for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

One of the topics Ms. Barrett plans to emphasize is the treatment of animals on farms. If any of Western’s students decide to work in a farm setting she wants them to understand all the issues involved with livestock and poultry production.

Ms Barrett believes farmers are unlikely to listen to animal rights activists, but that they probably would respect a veterinarian.

The new school, which opened in August, is the only vet school in California besides the University of California at Davis and is the first new college of veterinary medicine to open in the United States in over twenty years.

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.