A Public Records Review of Cadaver and Terminal Animal Use in US and Canadian Veterinary Schools

Veterinary students, interns, and residents have often been taught medical and surgical skills using cadavers or terminal surgeries. However, the number of animals used by veterinary schools, their sources, and the types of procedures taught have never been quantified. In this study, active Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee protocols in which animals were euthanized prior to, during, or following training exercises were requested from public veterinary schools in the United States and Canada between December 2022 and April 2024. Protocols were evaluated for the number and species of animals requested, animal source, and types of procedures taught. Additionally, we identified seven justifications for using animals provided by principal investigators and evaluated how closely they adhered to ethical guidelines set forth by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges. A total of 26 veterinary schools provided 120 Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee protocols meeting the study criteria. Equines (24/26 schools), cows (20/26), and small ruminants (19/26) were the most commonly requested species by schools, although poultry were requested in the highest numbers (8,558). Sources included client donations, commercial vendors, and university-owned animals. The most common justifications for using animals in teaching were that alternatives do not provide an equal learning experience (87/120 protocols) and that live animals are needed for students to learn nonsurgical (71/120) and surgical (65/120) procedures. There was considerable variation in how closely aligned animal use practices were to AAVMC recommendations. Limitations include probable undercounting of cadavers and the inability to verify the numbers of animals used versus requested for use.