Welfare of Animals in Veterinary Student Training

Veterinary education has historically used live and cadaver animals extensively for surgical training, with ongoing transition toward models, simulation, and shelter medicine approaches that reduce welfare costs.

Key Facts

Traditional veterinary education in some countries involved terminal procedures on healthy animals to teach surgical skills
European veterinary schools have largely transitioned to cadaver-based, model-based, and clinical training approaches since the 1990s
US veterinary schools still vary in their use of purpose-bred animals for terminal surgical laboratory exercises
High-fidelity surgical simulators and anatomical models have been validated as providing equivalent skill outcomes in multiple studies
Shelter medicine partnerships allow students to perform real procedures on animals that benefit from the surgery
The AVMA now formally supports the replacement of terminal animal laboratory exercises with validated alternatives

Welfare Considerations

Veterinary education animal welfare has improved dramatically in many countries over recent decades, driven by both ethical advocacy and validation of effective alternatives. The core insight that surgical skill acquisition does not require terminal procedures on healthy animals has been demonstrated convincingly: students trained on models, cadavers, and clinical cases under supervision reach equivalent competency. The remaining use of purpose-bred animals for terminal procedures in some US and international schools represents a legacy practice that persists through institutional inertia rather than evidence of educational superiority. Student advocacy and veterinary school policy reform are the primary levers for change.

What You Can Do

Support veterinary schools transitioning away from terminal laboratory animal use
Advocate for professional body requirements that incentivise simulation and clinical training approaches
Praise and choose veterinary schools with explicit policies on alternatives to terminal procedures
Support shelter medicine partnership programmes that provide clinical training opportunities
Learn about the validation evidence for simulation-based veterinary education and share this with relevant audiences