Did you know that our government and our soldiers routinely torture and mutilate animals in the name of national defense?

It’s true.

Moreover, this practice is completely unnecessary.

Yet, the U.S. Department of Defense has been inexcusably slow to respond to the call to stop using animals in military medical training. 

Nearly two years ago, the Pentagon was given instructions to use realistic human dummies instead of live animals in its medical training. PETA — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals — has led the way in trying to persuade the military to abandon the medical training exercise of shooting, stabbing, maiming, and otherwise traumatizing thousands of goats and pigs.

But the military has not yet completely stopped this heinous practice, and, not surprisingly, demands for it to do so have grown louder — but apparently not yet loud enough. 

At the end of June, 71 members of Congress pushed for the military to stop this barbarism. The group is led by Rep. Joe Heck (R., Nev.) and Rep. Jackie Speier (D., Calif.), both members of the House Armed Services Committee. The bipartisan group of lawmakers wants the military to use high-tech, lifelike human simulators to train military personnel in how to respond to injuries their peers incur on the battlefield.

Also last month, the congressmen and PETA were joined by some of the nation’s most recognized medical groups, who represent 255,000 doctors and doctors-in-training. Several former U.S. surgeon generals also have spoken out.

While the congressional coalition and PETA have stressed the educational benefits and cost savings of using human simulators, there are additional advantages to stopping this horrific torture of animals. Congressman Heck says that though he went through live animal tissue training early in his military career, “advances in human-based simulation have made this new training more accurate. Ending the use of live animals in military training and transitioning to simulations will increase military readiness and combat effectiveness, reduce training cost, and save the lives of countless animals.”

The Pentagon does not need more reasons — or time — to end this detestable practice. Members of Congress should freeze appropriations until this shameful and unnecessary exercise is put to a final and complete stop.

First Published July 2, 2016, 4:00 a.m.