Perceptions of fourth-year veterinary students about the human-animal bond in veterinary practice and in veterinary college curricula

Abstract

Objective To assess veterinary students' perceptions regarding the importance of addressing the human-animal bond in veterinary practice and their perceptions about the adequacy of curricula on the human-animal bond as presented in US veterinary colleges. Design Survey. Procedure Data were collected via a brief questionnaire mailed during the summer of 1996. Questionnaires were returned by 552 senior veterinary students representing 21 of 27 veterinary colleges in the United States. Results Senior veterinary students believed that the human-animal bond should be a concern of practicing veterinarians, but most did not believe they were receiving adequate instruction about the human-animal bond in their veterinary colleges. Gender was significantly related to differences in perceptions; female students appeared to have more interest in addressing the human-animal bond than male students. Students in small animal programs viewed the human-animal bond differently than those in large animal programs. Finally, students attending schools with extensive human-animal bond or human relations curricula were more likely to believe they were receiving adequate instruction in this area than students in other schools. Conclusions and Clinical Implications Curricula addressing the human-animal bond need to be developed and implemented in veterinary colleges in the United States. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 1999;215:1428–1432)