Veterinary education shapes the welfare values and practices of future veterinarians. Trends in how welfare science is taught affect the profession globally and ultimately the animals veterinarians serve.
Veterinary education creates the knowledge base and values from which professional welfare practice emerges. Veterinarians who receive strong welfare science training are more likely to provide welfare-centered care, advocate for patients, and engage in public welfare education. The profession also faces its own wellbeing challenges that parallel the compassion fatigue issues in animal sheltering. Veterinary schools that invest in both welfare science and practitioner wellbeing produce graduates who sustain welfare-positive practice longer.