ATLANTA — An animal protection group wants a federal review of the University of Georgia after the group obtained a document detailing the use of live dogs, pigs and goats to teach medical procedures that include placing a breathing tube through a hole in the throat.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said participants in UGA’s “medical readiness training program” should learn emergency procedures using human simulators rather than anesthetized live animal, which are then euthanized. The organization on Monday asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate the process UGA used to approve the animals’ use.
UGA officials, meanwhile, say their use of animals conforms to legal and ethical standards.
The university requires a protocol form for any use of animals in research. It is reviewed by an internal committee.
Justin Goodman, director of PETA’s laboratory investigations department, said PETA obtained the protocol document using an open records request. He said it contained no information about alternatives to live animals considered by officials.