Oregon's Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden has written to the US Coast Guard applauding its decision to temporarily suspend live-tissue training on animals.
Related: Sen. Ron Wyden's Letter to the US Coast Guard
To prepare staff for injuries they might encounter during a search and rescue, Coast Guard trainers shoot or cut sedated pigs or goats.
After receiving treatment, the animals are euthanized.
Animal rights groups have long fought the practice.
Now the Coast Guard says it will explore alternatives, like using high-tech mannequins.
In his letter, Sen. Wyden told the Coast Guard 95 percent of schools now use such alternatives and that it would strain credulity to believe they were adopting lower standards.
Wyden said that because human anatomy differs from an animal’s, modern alternatives are more informative.
The Coast Guard has said it’s suspending living-tissue training for at least six months while it considers alternatives.