For 35 years he received hugs from the contestants who rushed on stage to play The Price is Right, and although his days as a game show host are in the past Bob Barker is receiving virtual hugs from fans of felines for embracing the fight for animal rights. Known for helping all of our furry, finned and feathered friends, the TV icon has recently joined with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in speaking out against the use of live cats in experiments conducted at the university.
In an open letter to the university’s President, Barker discusses his view of teaching future pediatricians endotracheal intubation on cats. “This painful procedure can cause bleeding and bruising. And the cats don’t just go through this once—they are subjected to it over and over.
“I’m very concerned about the pain and suffering these animals experience—and I’m also worried that pediatrics residents are being short-changed on their education. Practicing on cats is not the best way to learn how to perform this critical procedure on newborn babies. That’s why 94 percent of pediatrics residency programs have replaced animal use with more effective nonanimal methods.
“These methods include programmable human patient simulators with anatomically correct airways. The devices respond to procedures as a human infant would.”
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