Class Dissects Live Dog

The Prickly Pear blogged A biology teacher in Gunnison, Utah dehumanized his students by having them dissect a live dog.

The school's principal, Kirk Anderson, said notifications went to parents explaining the dog was going to be euthanized and that the experiment would be done with the dog's organs still functioning.The teacher is standing by his decision and calls it the ultimate educational experience.Principal Anderson said he supports the lesson and it will be allowed to continue because the students are learning.The dog used in the experiment was going to be euthanized despite the class project.

By his actions, this teacher taught his class that it's okay to cut up pets, to experiment on them. In the process, he also harmed his students. In order to view the mutilation of a live dog, the children would have to desensitize part of themselves, cut off the empathetic caring part of their nature. blogged

Terry blogged Perhaps it would be a rich learning experience for the kids in the class. But I doubt they learned the lesson that was intended. They learned in more detail, with greater variety, with more subtlety, what animal cruelty is. Someone should get the students to think clearly about what it is they witnessed. Have them write essays and submit them to the teacher and the principal. My guess is that a lot of them were disgusted, revolted, mortified, etc. But if those emotions aren't captured and examined and talked about and written about then this whole episode is nothing but a sordid, knee-jerk "not the puppy!" response. My guess is not all the students felt those feelings I listed. They may not even have good names for the feelings they had. They may not know how to apply thought to the emotion that followed what they witnessed.

kswygert blogged I disagree with the students who claim there is nothing to be learned from this - but that doesn't necessarily make it humane, or worth doing, or even acceptable.

Kobayashi Maru commented The culture of death is an insidious thing. If a dog scheduled to be euthanized can be dissected for high school students today, why not a heavily sedated terminally ill grandma scheduled to be euthanized (at her own request) for a medical school class tomorrow? They'd certainly learn more. The 'benefits' would be more direct. Aren't those the absolute standards?

Greg blogged I’m sorry, but this is inappropriate – not while the creature was alive. I’m reasonably confident there is some animal cruelty law being violated by this.

bryanm blogged Now, I don't know about you but I would not want to take part in watching someone tear the digestive system out of a living animal. I really don't think it's appropriate. I wonder scientifically speaking how much more the students really would have learned by having the animal still alive? I'm guessing not much. There's a pretty big difference in euthanization and sedation. Maybe someone should point that out to the teacher. The kids were probably so disturbed, they didn't learn a thing anyway. File this as reason forty-leven why my son won't attend a public school.

This is absolutely pathetic. Has the Culture of Death taken over public education?