U.S. military use of pigs attacked

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Animal rights activists say the U.S. military tortures pigs by using them for training on handling traumatic injuries.

More than 20 people held a protest Wednesday outside the gates of Camp Pendleton, the Marine Corps base in Southern California, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals organized the demonstration.

Some of the protesters were children accompanied by their pets.

Scott Adams, 53, a former paramedic who said he was in the Army from 1979 to 2007, said technological advances make using live pigs unnecessary. He said the military could use human simulators and could also have military personnel getting trauma training serve rotations in trauma centers.

Rick Berman of the Center for Consumer Freedom said the pigs allow training with conditions like those soldiers might face on the field, dealing with a bleeding wounded body.

"I'd rather see it happen on a pig than on one of our military men and women," he said.

The military says the pigs are treated humanely. They are attached to tubes feeding them anesthetics intravenously while they are used as subjects and are put down afterward.