Morristown Medical Center to no longer use live animals for medical training

A Morris County hospital is stopping the use of live animals - including dogs - in its residency training program.
Thursday's announcement comes after a physicians' group placed ads asking for the Morristown Medical Center facility to halt the practice.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine had put ads in two New Jersey Transit train stations and leased a New Jersey Turnpike billboard accusing the hospital of practicing invasive training procedures on live dogs.
The hospital says it has now determined the use of animals isn't essential for training emergency physicians.
The medical center will begin using either simulators or cadavers for the specialized training.
The physicians' group says it congratulates the hospital's leadership for making a "scientifically and ethically sound decision."
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.