Veronica Noechel: Give pigs a break

Regarding the Aug. 5 news story “UNC medical school’s use of live pigs to train doctors brings complaint”: Glad to see this practice of using live animals is being questioned when comparable – and arguably even superior – humane, non-animal models exist. Just because something has been done the same way for a long time doesn’t make it a good idea, for the animals used, for the students’ education or for the patients they will be treating in the future.

Get with the times, UNC, and give the pigs a break. Anyone who thinks that because anesthesia is used the animals don’t suffer has never been through a major surgery. Even if pain meds are used afterward (and there’s no mention of that) and even if the students perform the procedures correctly every time (though they are students so there will be mistakes), we know that recovery is a long and painful process, even when everything goes right and infection doesn’t take hold.

Pain meds don’t make the pain disappear; they only make the pain bearable. Living in a constant state of just bearable isn’t something I’d want inflicted upon my worst enemy, let alone an innocent animal, particularly when it’s unnecessary.

This story was originally published September 7, 2016 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Veronica Noechel: Give pigs a break."