Army Medical Center Ceases Training on Ferrets

Thousands of protest emails and letters have persuaded the Madigan Army Medical Center to use more humane intubation training methods.


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The Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, WA, is following in the footsteps of other medical facilities and universities throughout the US by using simulated models instead of live animals for instructional purposes. Recently, the center announced that it would no longer practice on ferrets for its intubation procedure tutorials—a process that involves forcing a tube down the animals’ throats, which can result in bleeding, collapsed lungs, and fatalities. The switch to the humane training method came after a lengthy campaign from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, during which more than 60,000 people sent in emails requesting that the center stop using ferrets, along with numerous letters from medical experts and civilians that protested the cruel use of animals.