Did you know that frogs are born without legs? They hatch from eggs as tadpoles and swim around in lakes, creeks, and rivers. As they grow up, they develop legs and webbed feet. Frogs should live in their natural habitats with their families, hopping and swimming as they please. Sadly, many of them don’t get to live this way.
Some frogs are bred for classroom dissection and never get to feel rain on their skin or lily pads beneath their feet. And many more frogs are taken from their homes in nature and kept in small, filthy, extremely crowded containers. Instead of getting to enjoy a happy life with their families, frogs killed for dissection can’t do anything they care about, like be around lots of water, choose a mate, catch food, and be free.
Frogs are a very important part of the ecosystem because they help control the insect population. When they’re taken from their homes, all the extra bugs destroy crops, so farmers then use pesticides and poisons to kill the insects.
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Whether they’re hatched in captivity or abducted from their homes, all frogs used for dissection are eventually killed. Then their bodies are sold to schools, where teachers and students cut them apart and throw them in the garbage when they’re done.
Treating animals like laboratory equipment is speciesist. Speciesism is when humans treat other animals as less important, such as by valuing an unnecessary classroom exercise over an animal’s entire life. Frogs have feelings, just like humans, and they deserve to live in peace.
Even if you don’t live in one of these places, many teachers and schools will work with you and give you another assignment instead.
Under 13? Ask your parents bee-fore you continue!