PULLMAN, Wash – An elective course on equine surgery will end earlier than planned, as Washington State University cites safety concerns and threats.
The WSU College of Veterinary Medicine was planning to end its elective large animal surgery course after this semester.
In the course, students would do surgical procedures on horses and WSU says eight horses were scheduled to be brought to campus.
However, an online campaign began, saying the eight horses and 60 goats would be euthanized as part of the training.
Posts on the topic were shared widely on social media, with groups urging people to contact WSU to cancel the lab and let healthy horses and goats to be adopted.
Posts also called on WSU to replace the “terminal animal labs” with “modern, ethical training programs.”
WSU said it received “a high volume of threatening and hostile communications directed towards members of our community.”
The university said “given the nature of the threats and similar incidents that have occurred at other research universities, WSU has determined that we cannot safely proceed with the equine component of the surgery course this spring.”
WSU said it had already been planning to discontinue the program.
“Students will continue to gain essential surgical experience through clinical training opportunities and advanced simulation technologies that reflect evolving practices in veterinary medical education,” the university said in a statement.
PETA was among the groups celebrating the cancelation, saying WSU received more than 36,000 calls and emails.
“PETA applauds Washington State University for listening to the public and canceling the laboratory that would have killed eight healthy and adoptable horses,” the group said in a statement emailed to 4 News Now. “We stand ready to assist the university, which has pledged to reconsider future training laboratories that operate on and kill other animals, such as its goat laboratory, as many of its peer institutions have done.”
WSU students will receive credit for coursework already completed.
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