The Ultimate Learning Experience

[Tranquility]

Dissection of live dog enrages parents, students:

http://www.local6.com/news/4480144/detail.html

A biology class lesson in Gunnison, Utah involving the dissection of a live dog has outraged some parents and students, according to a report.


"I thought that it would be just really a good experience if they could see the digestive system in the living animal," Biology teacher Doug Bierregaard said.

Eww.

[John M. Dollan]

What? And PETA hasn't sent in the nude shock troops yet?

Seriously, though, I can't believe a teacher would have even considered this. I'd have to check, but I wouldn't be surprised if several animal cruelty laws hadn't been brolen by this guy.

...John...

[The Supreme Canuck]

Now, I'm usually not one to push for animal rights or anything, but this one... wow. How do you decide to do this?

[Gullible Jones]

Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. The teacher must have been nuts.

[John M. Dollan]

I'd say the administration is nuts, considering that the principle is allowing this to continue "because students are learning." Learning what, exactly? How to vivisect living animals?

Exactly what is there to see in a disembodied digestive tract from a living dog that you couldn't see from a fresh cadaver?

...John...

[Gullible Jones]

Peristalsis.

[John M. Dollan]

Not really sufficient, in my view. Not at the level of education that high schoolers are getting on the subject.

Besides, is it even visible once the digestive tract is removed (as, according to the article, it was)?

...John...

[Van Rijn]

Well, my gut reaction was extremely bad, but after reading the article it settled down a bit. They should have realized there would be a bad public reaction to it, but the dog was heavily sedated and was going to be euthanized, so I don't see where cruelty comes in. If the dog could feel pain, I would be completely against it, of course. So under these circumstances, I don't see it as inherently wrong, but not a good idea for a high school biology class. [edited to add - it should go without saying that student attendence should have been voluntary. I would be absolutely against the teacher not making that point very clear.]

[pghnative]

I agree with Van Rijn. Not cruelty, given that the dog was sedated and slated to be killed anyway. But also useless toward the education of the students.

[Argos]

Teachers leave them dogs alone.