WATCH: ‘This Is Us’ Star Faithe Herman Joins With PETA to Oppose Dissection
You may know actor Faithe Herman as Annie, the adorable and precocious daughter of Randall and Beth Pearson on the popular television series This Is Us. She may play the youngest member of the Pearson family on screen, but in real life, she has some wise words of advice for her older peers who are being told to dissect animals in the classroom.
In a new PETA public service announcement, Faithe speaks out against the cruel practice of dissection, for which approximately 10 million animals are used annually in the U.S. “School is supposed to be about learning, not killing,” she says in the video. She also encourages students to ask for humane alternatives, as studies have repeatedly shown that virtual dissection is more effective in teaching biology than cutting up corpses. Or as she puts it, “I’m pretty sure we can learn way more about science from an iPad than from cutting up an animal’s body.”
Faithe also calls out adults who may have misconceptions regarding what goes on behind the scenes in the dissection industry. Bodies are often provided by biological supply companies that breed animals such as mice, rats, and rabbits just so they can be killed for dissection. ? Some companies even trap animals in the wild, and the industry has a negative impact on ecosystems. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, amphibian populations are in decline in part because of culling for dissection.
In a short interview segment, Faithe talks about her favorite animal (dolphins!) and the activities she loves doing with her canine companion. She also encourages kids to stand up for their beliefs and “say no to dissection.”
We encourage you, as the kind parent you are, to listen to Faithe and talk to your kids, their school, and their teachers about choosing humane alternatives to cruel animal dissection. You and your child can also discuss why they should take the pledge to say “no, thank you” to animal dissection.
Under 13? Ask your parents bee-fore you continue!