For centuries, the practice of dissecting animals has always been prevalent in biology classes or anatomical studies. Usually, colleges and universities use frogs, fish, rabbits, cats, and dogs as “dissection specimens.” Some animals that are used in these exercises come from breeding facilities, while others are either caught in the wild or stolen from their owners.
Though some believe that practical experience is essential in terms of understanding the complexity of anatomical systems, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) argues that each animal who is routinely used in these experiments represents not only “life lost but also a part of a trail of animal abuse and environmental havoc.”
PETA added that exposing young people to this archaic teaching method desensitizes them to the sanctity of life. Fortunately, there are organizations who are doing their utmost effort to put an end to animal cruelty. With the advent of modern technologies, SynDaver Labs, a Tampa-based biotechnology company, aims to revolutionize medical education through replacing live animals and cadavers.
The company, which is known for manufacturing hyper-realistic synthetic humans and animals, recently unveiled its latest product called “CopyCat.” It is a full-bodied replica of the feline anatomy complete with synthetic muscles, tendons, and bones, and is intended to replace the use of cat cadavers in middle school and high school science dissection labs.
In a Facebook post, the company mentioned that by using CopyCats, cats are no longer needed in dissection courses. This product also has artificial organs that mimic a real feline’s internal structure.
Every day, we stumble upon heartbreaking stories about animal cruelty–and more than we know it, we are also one of the major reasons why these creatures go extinct. As a matter of fact, more than 100 million animals are being abused and killed during drug, food, and cosmetic testing every year. Through replacing live cats and dogs with synthetic animal models, we are finally helping in putting an end to crude animal experiments.