Military Trauma Training Takes a Humane Turn

The United States has ended the use of live animals in combat medical training, replacing the practice with advanced simulators to prepare medics while preventing animal suffering.

“With today’s advanced simulation technology, we can prepare our medics for the battlefield while reducing harm to animals,” said Vern Buchanan, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, who helped drive the change.

The decision, embedded in a new defence policy framework, bans shooting live animals in trauma training and restricts painful research on cats and dogs, while directing the military to use high-fidelity mannequins, cadavers, and realistic medical simulations instead. The shift reflects years of technological progress, aligns with similar bans already adopted by other military branches, and marks a significant step toward modernising medical training while strengthening animal welfare standards.