PETA: Madigan Army Medical Center Has Stopped 'Cruel' Ferret-Testing

The controversial use of ferrets as test subjects in a procedure that involves forcing tubes down their windpipes at Madigan Amy Medical Center has ended, according to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

The move comes after PETA mounted a three-year campaign that included e-mails from some 60,000 people, letters from civilian and military medical experts, and even a public banner drop in Tacoma, the group tells Patch.

That prompted Madigan to "undertake an internal review that ultimately confirmed that lifelike infant-patient simulators can be used exclusively to teach intubation skills."

"This decision brings Madigan in line with the overwhelming majority of other military medical facilities and brings it into compliance," PETA says, "with Department of Defense guidelines that require that non-animal training methods be used when available."

Intubation training on ferrets requires repeatedly forcing hard plastic tubes down their delicate windpipes and can cause bleeding, swelling, pain, scarring, collapsed lungs, and even death. Studies have repeatedly shown that pediatric intubation training on simulators prepares trainees better to treat children than crude animal laboratories do. 

"PETA applauds Madigan's leadership for its compassionate, medically sound decision to use superior modern simulation tools instead of shoving tubes down ferrets' throats," says Justin Goodman, director of PETA's Laboratory Investigations Department. "Using animals to teach human anatomy is like trying to get from Seattle to New York using a map of France. Both patients and trainees will benefit from Madigan's new advanced, effective, and humane intubation training curriculum."

PETA has also convinced Naval Medical Center Portsmouth and Naval Medical Center San Diego to end their animal-based intubation exercises. Tripler Army Medical Center, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and William Beaumont Army Medical Center also use only simulation methods for pediatric intubation training, as do more than 98 percent of U.S. pediatric residency programs.