ADVANCES IN VETERINARY EDUCATION THROUGH NON-ANIMAL MODELS

PURPOSE: With the recognition of animals as sentient beings and the growing research in the field of animal welfare the use of live animals for scientific purposes and education has been under question. The present paper focused on the legal framework for the protection of animals used for research and education while giving examples on their replacement with alternative methods in undergraduate veterinary courses. METHODS: Analysis is made on the implemented legal framework which lays down the requirement for animal protection and specifically the 3Rs principles for animal experimentation. Additionally, a short literature review is made to identify the most common educational approaches used to replace live animals in veterinary training. RESULTS: Based on the review we identified common ethical dilemmas for animal use in education like ethically sourced cadavers, continuous tests and manipulations during the process of training of veterinary students and presented as well some examples on alternatives like simulators, artificial models and digital resources. CONCLUSIONS: Through the development and implementation of modern educational resources aimed at the replacement of live animals with non-animal alternatives veterinary students could benefit in their studies both in terms of solving ethical issues regarding animal use and in gaining self-confidence, improvement of skills, and performance.