PETA Donates Software to Help Cut Out Dissection at University of Houston-Victoria

School’s Biology Classes Welcome Modern Teaching Tools That Make Kindness a Part of the Curriculum

For Immediate Release:
March 11, 2014

Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382

Students in biology classes at the University of Houston–Victoria will now learn about anatomy without cutting into animals, thanks to software donated by PETA.

At the request of one of the school’s biology professors, PETA—through its national educational grants program—has donated the popular Froguts virtual dissection software, which allows students to get a close look inside frogs, sea stars, squids, fetal pigs, and more without harming them. Interactive software such as Froguts has been shown to teach anatomy better than animal dissection.

“PETA’s donation of state-of-the-art anatomy software will help the University of Houston–Victoria cut out cruel and archaic animal dissection from the curriculum,” says PETA Director of Laboratory Investigations Justin Goodman. “More students than ever now oppose animal dissection and experimentation and they can now learn to understand and appreciate animals without hurting them.”

The millions of animals used in classroom dissections come from biological supply houses, which breed animals, or are obtained from animal shelters or even taken from the wild.

Gallup polls show that more than half of college-aged adults now oppose experimenting on animals. Comparative studies have repeatedly shown that modern methods like interactive computer programs are more effective at teaching biology than crude animal-based methods. These programs also save teachers time and money.

The National Science Teachers Association endorses the use of modern non-animal methods as complete replacements for animal dissection.

For more information, please visit PETA.org/Dissection.