WATCH: ‘This Is Us’ Star Faithe Herman Fights to End Dissection

Actor Faithe Herman may play the youngest member of the Pearson family on the popular television series This Is Us (also known as “everyone’s favorite excuse to cry”). But in real life, she has some wise words of advice for her older peers who are being told to dissect animals in the classroom.

In a new PETA public service announcement, Faithe speaks out against the cruel practice of dissection, which uses approximately 10 million animals annually in the U.S. “School is supposed to be about learning, not killing,” she says in the video. She also encourages students to ask for humane alternatives, as studies have repeatedly shown that virtual dissection is more effective in teaching biology than cutting up corpses. Or as she puts it, “I’m pretty sure we can learn way more about science from an iPad than from cutting up an animal’s body.”

Faithe also calls out adults who may have misconceptions regarding what goes on behind the scenes in the dissection industry. Bodies are often provided by biological supply companies that breed animals such as mice, rats, and rabbits, just so they can be killed for dissection. Some companies even trap animals in the wild, and the industry has a negative impact on ecosystems. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, amphibian populations are in decline in part because of culling for dissection.

In a short interview session, Faithe talks about her favorite animal (dolphins!) and the activities she loves doing with her canine companion. She also encourages kids to stand up for their beliefs and “say no to dissection.”

Faithe is best known for her role as Annie, the adorable and precocious daughter of Randall and Beth Pearson on This Is Us. And she isn’t the only animal lover in the famous cast. From Mandy Moore, who promotes #AdoptDontShop, to Faithe’s on-screen sister, Eris Baker, who’s vegetarian in real life, the cast of This Is Us is full of animal advocates.

 Dissection Is Dangerous, Unethical, and Unnecessary—Help End It Today!