Importance of Welfare and Ethics Competence Regarding Animals Kept for Scientific Purposes to Veterinary Students in Australia and New Zealand

Teresa Collins,Susan Hazel,Andrew Fisher,Vicky Tzioumis,Paul Mcgreevy,Rafael Freire,Chris Degeling,Jennifer Hood,Clive Phillips,Amelia Cornish,Janice Lloyd,Jane Johnson

doi:10.3390/vetsci5030066

Abstract

Veterinarians are in a strong position of social influence on animal-related issues. Hence, veterinary schools have an opportunity to raise animal health and welfare standards by improving veterinary students’ animal welfare and ethics (AWE) education, including that related to animals used for scientific purposes. A survey of 818 students in the early, mid, and senior stages of their courses at all eight veterinary schools across Australia and New Zealand was undertaken on their first day of practice (or Day One Competences) to explore how veterinary students viewed the importance of their competence in the management of welfare and ethical decision-making relating to animals kept for scientific purposes. From highest to lowest, the rankings they assigned were: Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) Procedures or Requirements; 3Rs (Replacement, Refinement and Reduction); Humane Endpoints; Euthanasia; “What Is a Research Animal?”; and Conscientious Objections. Female students rated Conscientious Objections, Humane Endpoints, and Euthanasia significantly higher than male students did across the three stages of study. The score patterns for these three variates showed a trend for the male students to be more likely to score these topics as extremely important as they advanced through the course, but female students’ scores tended to decline slightly or stay relatively stable. No gender differences emerged for the three variates: 3Rs (Replacement, Refinement and Reduction); AEC Procedures or Requirements; and “What Is a Research Animal?”. This study demonstrates that understandings of the regulatory and normative frameworks are considered most important in animal welfare and ethics competence in veterinary students. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate what importance veterinary students place on their competence regarding animals kept for scientific purposes.

Highlights

Animal welfare and ethics (AWE) is an integral and growing component of modern veterinary education [1]
At a 2-day face-to-face workshop, faculty members teaching AWE at each of the veterinary schools in Australia and New Zealand formulated a list of key topics relevant to the use of animals kept for scientific purposes
The survey results indicate veterinary students in Australia and New Zealand generally recognize the importance of Day One Competences for animals kept for scientific purposes in the key AWE topics identified

Summary

Introduction

Animal welfare and ethics (AWE) is an integral and growing component of modern veterinary education [1]. The reasons for this include an increasing community concern about animal welfare [2,3]. Growing public expectation that veterinarians demonstrate competency and knowledge in AWE principles underpinning the societal use of animals [4], including the use of animals for scientific purposes. Given veterinarians attain the skills and knowledge required to provide animal care and disease management for a wide range of species, they are ideally placed to: (i) understand the potential impacts of many scientific procedures on animals; and (ii) ensure the welfare of the animals affected. In Australia, and around the world, animals used for research or teaching are not limited to laboratory rodents; many species are used, including livestock, birds, cats, dogs, poultry, reptiles, fish, and wildlife [6]

Methods

Results

Conclusion