Class Dissection Of Live Dog Outrages Parents, Students
Student: 'It Just Makes Me Sick...'
POSTED: 8:12 am EDT May 12, 2005
UPDATED: 7:57 am EDT May 13, 2005
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.
Biology teacher Doug Bjerregaard, who is a substitute teacher at Gunnison Valley High School, wanted his students to see how the digestive system of a dog worked.
Bjerregaard made arrangements for his students to be a part of a dissection of a dog that was still alive.
The dog was still alive, but the teacher said it was sedated before the dissection began.
With the students watching, the sedated dog's digestive system was removed.
"It just makes me sick and I don't think this should go on anywhere and nobody's learning from it," student Sierra Sears said.
The teacher said the lesson would allow students to see the organs actually working.
"I thought that it would be just really a good experience if they could see the digestive system in the living animal," Bierregaard said.
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.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
2 comments:
I guess I don't see anything wrong with it. At first I was thinking the dog was conscious or something, but he wasn't. And since he was going to be euthanized anyways I don't think they were doing it to torture the dog or anything. If the school let the parents and students know what was going to happen like they said then I don't see why so many people are upset by it. It doesn't seem any different to me than dissecting a frog. Personally I don't like to be part of dissecting animals, but I think it would be really interesting to watch.
interesting to watch... maybe. Traumatic for some kids... yes. I think they should have prepared the kids and parents more before they did it. The kids shouldn't be REQUIRED to participate and the only reason I thought it was okay by any means is that the dog would have been put down anyway. I don't think I would have been able to watch it... I would prolly cry and close my eyes, but some kids might get something educational out of it I guess.
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