As cars jammed during lunchtime in Lakewood’s Tillicum neighborhood, Susan Hoppler walked down Berkeley Avenue and caught passengers’ attention. Many rolled down the car window and took a leaflet from the Federal Way resident.

Its contents weren’t pretty: A photo of hands wearing surgical gloves cutting into an animal. It’s tough to determine what animal it is because much of the picture is filled with a large, open wound. "Stop military trauma tests on animals," it says.

"I’m a normal person. I’m not some wacko," said Hoppler, a 46-year-old former veterinary technician. "But this is important to me."

Hoppler was one of eight people organized by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to protest the Army’s use of animals to train medics on trauma response. The organization is protesting at Fort Lewis and 16 other military installations across the country.

PETA targeted Fort Lewis over its use of goats to train medics in trauma response. During some practices, parts of the animals’ limbs were amputated under anesthesia to teach the proper application of a tourniquet.

=> Read more!