According to an article in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Texas Tech University’s Health Sciences Center will no longer use stray cats from local animal shelters to train emergency medical technicians. Texas Tech declined to explain why it made the decision to cease cat usage.
This comes after several months of criticism from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which condemned Texas Tech’s the use of the cats as cruel. PETA particularly objected to the school’s habit of “shoving hard, plastic tubes down the throats of cats.”
Elsewhere, an article in the Los Angeles Times indicates that Orange, California’s Chapman University plans to station puppies outside the university library to help students during finals. According to the article:
On Wednesday, in the middle of “cram week,” a bunch of puppies will be stationed outside the university library for students to pet and play with. The event, called “Furry Friends for Finals,” is being organized by the university’s Active Minds club, which promotes mental awareness.
The idea is that the cuteness of the puppies will help relieve stress from final exams. Why not just take the abused cats from Texas to California….
The juxtaposition of the cats and dogs comes from a piece in the Quick Takes section of Inside Higher Ed. No word yet on how PETA feels about the puppies.
