I don’t have souls on the soles of my shoes @Donkeyman 
Interesting though, that you said you wouldn’t feel happy with an transplanted organ.
Our mum’s influence runs deep, even when we think we disagree with everything they said and are nothing like them! 
Poor chap
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I don’t eat pork because I cannot bear the thought of the way they are slaughtered.
However I am a hypocrite as I do eat meat and chicken .
But there is no difference from the pigs point of view between taking a pigs life for organ replacement or bacon butties .
I wonder if the pigs raised for organ transplant have their lives ended in a kinder fashion…
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I somehow don’t have a lot of faith in this being the case I’m afraid 
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Yes, I agree Muddy.
We have always killed animals for their meat and/or internal organs to feed our faces on.
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@Bathsheba ,l agree Bathsheba, it is highly likely that they
remove the heart about 1 HR before they replant it in the
recipient , this is done for reasons of freshness and possibly
Immunology ??
It is even possible that they remove it before the animal is dead ?
Donkeyman! 
I could never agree to any porcine part in my body and that’s for sure.
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If he didn’t have the pigs heart he would die anyway because they’re in short supply.
Are they just going to breed pigs for this when we’re being persuaded not to eat meat? because of climate change.
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That is my biggest fear, but I just have to believe that surgeons, who have dedicated their lives to saving life, would not be so callous.
@Bathsheba ,Yeah, me to!
But having read the book, and listened to the audio
book called ‘The Island of Dr Moreau’ l have doubts ??
Donkeyman! 
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Presumably, pigs’ hearts are more economically viable than mechanical hearts, which have been available for some time now?
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@Judd , And the pigs heart closely resembles the human heart
in size and the plumbing arrangements apparently ?
Mechanical devices also tend to be rejected by the bodies
immune system too !
Donkeyman!
. . . human lives - yes.
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if they did which seems extremely likely surely it would be under anaesthesia as they wouldn’t want damage to the heart .
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Anyone else read this?
I’m beginning to think he’s a very fortunate man, guinea pig or not.
He once stabbed a guy and left him in a wheelchair, paralyzed … and did time for it.
I like to think that they have compassion for all living things, but I realise that probably isn’t (always) the case,
Yes, good point Muddy. They wouldn’t want to put undue stress on the heart.
The problem with human to human transplants is that the donor organs are in really bad shape. People who die in car accidents, suicides etc are often left for long periods before organs can be harvested and so these “healthy” organs often go to waste.
People don’t usually die healthy, they die with existing diseases, addictions and birth defects. Donor organs can be from cancer patients, hepatitis sufferers, HIV etc and so when someone receives a donor organ they tend to still be in ill health and on meds for other new illnesses.
The ability to breed pigs for organ harvesting is a huge leap forward - we can not only harvest healthy organs, but eventually we can breed an animal (using all sorts of techniques like gene therapy) to tailor the organ to to the person and “grow it” under observation. This means less chance of rejection, less meds-for-life, and overall, better outcomes, especially when transplant operations can now be scheduled properly instead of people waiting for an organ and then its a last minute rush to surgery.
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If it was my wife, Daughter or anyone I know and like, there would be no contest…Pig loses! I’d even volunteer to kill the beast.
I like bacon but only have it on special occasions like holidays, breakfast would be a washout without some nice crispy smoked back bacon while on my jolly’s, but never eat it at home.
I would miss ham the most, it makes up 50% of all the sandwiches I eat, with a thick spreading of Colmans English mustard.
Just as it happens, Mrs Fox has just taken a pork steak out of the freezer for Sunday Dinner…
I don’t really give the animal a second thought, and the animal wouldn’t give a second thought about eating you in the right circumstances.
The American Indians used to say that you take on the animals wisdom and strength when you eat part of it, and the rest will keep you warm in the cold.
Clever fellows those Indians…
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