In spite of concerns raised by humane education advocates, Langara Community College in Vancouver, B.C., Canada is planning to use animals, including domestic cats and rabbits, as part of its Biology 2350 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy class. The use of animals in dissection has been shown to desensitize students to the suffering of animals and erode their natural sense of empathy, compassion, respect for life and critical thinking. Some students even go on to avoid studies and careers in life sciences altogether because of harmful animal use.

While more progressive institutions around the world have adopted humane alternatives to animal dissection, Langara College continues to use archaic, outdated teaching methods.

It's time for Langara College to bring an end to its harmful and dated use of animals in dissection.