Sentiency, bioethics and animal welfare: concepts that need to be discussed in higher education to change the teaching and researching paradigm

Abstract

This study investigated the knowledge of students of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences of the State University of Northern Paraná, Campus Luiz Meneghel, on the ethical and legal guidelines of animal experimentation, as well as the possibility of substitute methods for using sentient animals in classes and scientific practices. The research involved 162 freshman students and graduating students, aged 17 to 32 years. The students responded to the questionnaire containing objective and subjective questions, and the answers were analysed by descriptive statistics. It was observed that 87% of the students were unaware of the concept of the "3Rs" and 81.5% did not know the existence of alternative methods that can replace the use of live animals in studies. In addition, only 24.7% of respondents reported they had studied "bioethics" before graduation. However, 94.3% and 96.2% of the students from veterinary medicine and biological sciences, respectively, considered it important to insert animal welfare and bioethics in the curriculum of such courses. The results demonstrated that the ethical and statutory guidelines that rule the use of animals in scientific experiments and in classes are unknown even among senior students and there is still great resistance to the exclusion of animal models. Thus, it is important that animal welfare and bioethics remain in the curriculum in higher education through the insertion of such subjects, even as elective courses that aim to work with methodologies and innovative strategies in synergistic action with ethics committees for animal use, which are responsible for analysing, guiding and supervising the relevance of animal use in education and research. Therefore, the curriculum will be able to achieve rationalization in the use of animal models, the sustainable and "humanitarian" development of teaching and research, and the training of more conscious and ethical professionals, perceptions that must be achieved through a national education curriculum.

Perception on bioethics and animal welfare by veterinarians

“…A study with thirteen veterinary schools across several continents found that only one school in Brazil taught an animal welfare course (Federal University of Paraná), while six schools did not (Hewson et al, 2005). Consistent with Duzanski et al (2015) study, most participants in the present study rated teaching animal welfare and bioethics as essential and necessary for professional practice (Tables 2 and 4). In addition, all participants stated that animal welfare should be a required course, thus indicating that veterinarians are receptive to teaching this subject and that higher education institutions should provide these courses systematically.…”

“…Although most participants in the present study (58.3%) stated they had been taught some bioethical ideas, a significant proportion (41.7%) had not. A study conducted with veterinary medicine and biological science students in Paraná found that only 24.7% of participants reported having been taught bioethics before graduation, but all of them rated it significant (Duzanski et al, 2015). In the present study, most participants from Rio de Janeiro and Paraná reported that their schools taught bioethics as an autonomous discipline.…”

“…However, these practices have been questioned by professionals, students and nongovernmental animal welfare organizations, among others. Reasons for this criticism include awareness of the ethical principles for using animals in practical activities and minimizing animal use in such activities, which has led universities to discourage their use (Rodrigues et al, 2013;Duzanski et al, 2015). Consequently, with repercussions on the Brazilian National Congress, the Arouca Law (Brasil, 2008) was passed.…”