Dissection

Dissection is a practice that was first introduced in schools in the 1920s. Since then, millions of animals—frogs, cats, rats, dogs, pigs, sheep, and more—have been killed for classroom explorations. PETA's investigations into biological supply companies, which sell animal bodies and parts, have uncovered acts of animal cruelty, including the drowning of rabbits and the embalming of cats while they were still alive.

A growing number of educators believe that dissection devalues life by reducing animals to mere "specimens" and "tools" to be used and disposed of. Numerous studies have shown that there is a link between how students treat animals and how they treat one another. In Hawthorne, California, investigators brought up the possible connection between a spate of cat mutilations and the cat dissections at a local high school. In his last interview before his death, Jeffrey Dahmer, the serial killer, said that his fascination with death and dismemberment began when his school instructed him in animal dissection.

Thankfully, humane science education programs are becoming more common. Ten states have laws or policies mandating that students have the option to learn science and anatomy by using one of the many humane alternatives to dissection, which are high-tech, effective, affordable, and reusable. States with dissection-choice laws or policies include California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia. If your state is not among those that guarantee students' right to choose, request an educators' dissection pack from TeachKind. This pack will provide you with information on alternatives to dissection and advice about changing school policy.

Use the following resources to learn more about the ethics of dissection, dissection alternatives, and how to implement humane science policies:

Watch the Video

“Classroom Cut-Ups” (Ages 11-Adult)
Available FREE From TeachKind
Undercover investigators worked for the nation's two largest biological suppliers, Carolina Biological Supply Company and Ward's Natural Science Establishment, to gather information about what happens to animals before they reach the classroom. This video reveals a world of casual cruelty in the dissection industry but also offers a host of exciting, cost-effective alternatives. Show this 14-minute video to school board members, science teachers, and students aged 14-Adult.

PDF Version

“Guide to Animals and the Dissection Industry” (Ages 11-Adult)
Available FREE From TeachKind
This eight-page guide explains the ethical concerns of dissection and provides a list of alternatives and information on what students and educators can do to help. Distribute these guides to all students, science teachers, and school board members.

PDF Version

Dissection Factsheet (Ages 9-Adult)
Available FREE From TeachKind
This factsheet is the perfect way to introduce educators, students, parents, and administrators to the issues surrounding dissection. Order it from TeachKind or print and copy the PDF.

Dissection Pack (For Students and Educators)
Available FREE From TeachKind
This pack will help you change your school's policies. Help ensure that students can refuse to dissect or get your school or district to ban the use of animal dissections.

Alternatives to Dissection
Follow this link to learn about the many free loan programs and other humane alternatives to animal dissection. They're reusable and less expensive and more effective than animal dissection.

PCRM's Dissection Alternatives Web Site
This Web site by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine explains, from a medical perspective, why labs that use animals are problematic in schools and colleges, the advantages of alternatives, and information on obtaining alternatives.

Resources for Students Aged 13 and Under
If you are a student aged 13 or younger, and you need help refusing to dissect or want to start a dissection-choice policy or a ban on animal dissections, check out the link above.

Resources for Students Aged 14-Adult
If you are 14 years old or older, click on the link above to learn how to work with your school's teachers and administrators to implement dissection-choice and humane science policies.