First-Ever Dissectible Faux Piglet Coming to Classrooms
For Immediate Release:
August 13, 2026
Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382
Inspired by her own experience refusing to dissect a fetal pig as a student years ago, PETA President Tracy Reiman is introducing the Kind Piglet™—a life-like silicone model that replaces real animals in school dissection. It features color-coded organs and easy setup and cleanup, giving students a hands-on dissection experience without the cruelty, mess, or hazardous chemicals—including formaldehyde—that come with the use of real, preserved piglets. Educators can learn more and place orders here. Samples are available upon request.
The first-ever dissectible classroom pig model addresses a critical need: An estimated 500,000 fetal pigs are used in dissection each year in the United States; some are still alive when cut from their dead mother’s bodies, only to be killed and sold for science class.
High school science teachers have been clamoring for a mammalian alternative to fetal pigs and even cats in biology courses, and the Kind Piglet fits the bill. The first-of-its-kind model is already generating news coverage ahead of its classroom debut. Educators have told PETA that “creating models for other body systems, like [mammal organs] would be helpful,” and “I would love if [PETA] made a mammal…because that is the main animal dissection we do at my school and I’d love to replace them with a humane alternative.” The Kind Piglet is less expensive and safer than the real piglet and doesn’t alienate many students, especially girls who have been shown to avoid science fields because of being teased for their “squeamishness.”
Through PETA’s humane education division, TeachKind Science, Reiman oversaw the creation of the Kind Frog™ to give teachers what they wanted: a hands-on anatomy lesson that lets students learn without cruelty or compromising their values. Now, the Kind Piglet is taking that mission even further. Its launch comes as Reiman marks her first year as president of PETA.
“As a student, I learned firsthand how dissection can leave a lasting impression for all the wrong reasons and even turn them away from a career in science,” says Reiman. “Every student deserves the chance to experience curiosity, not distress, and the Kind Piglet helps make that possible while not harming a hair on an animal’s head.”
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to experiment on”—points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and fear, a pig is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
