Veterinary education shapes the welfare values and practical competencies of the profession. Welfare science integration in veterinary curricula has improved substantially but gaps in positive welfare and farm species welfare remain.
Veterinary welfare education is a welfare multiplier: each graduating vet will make welfare-relevant decisions for thousands of animals throughout their career. The quality of welfare education - both the scientific knowledge base and the ethical reasoning skills - shapes those decisions. Welfare science integration has improved dramatically, but gaps remain: farm animal welfare often receives less emphasis than companion animal welfare in small-animal-focused schools; positive welfare indicators are less well taught than negative welfare indicators; and the practical skills of welfare decision-making under real-world economic pressures are rarely taught explicitly. The welfare of millions of animals depends on the quality of veterinary education.