No abstract

Veterinarian practitioners are seen by laypeople as guarantors of animal health and well-being, and traditionally are considered as a point of reference for policy development. Understanding veterinary student attitudes towards animals and animal use is key in order to assess the effectiveness of education efforts around animal welfare or ethics. The present study examined students' attitudes towards different types of animal use, human-directed empathy and the relationship between these and various personal variables. The sample comprised 200 Spanish veterinary students who participated by completing an online questionnaire. Findings showed that attitudes towards animal use varied significantly according to different ways in which animals are used, and also demonstrated a relationship between attitudes towards animal use, one component of human-directed empathy ('Empathic Concern') and a number of personal variables such as gender, career choice and contact with societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals. Our findings suggest that concern about certain types of animal use-the use of animals for research and animal management-decreased as students progress to later stages in their studies. Reasons for this and the role of veterinary education are discussed.