Perspectives of veterinary students on animal euthanasia at the Faculty of Veterinary, University of Sarajevo

This study aimed to investigate the attitudes of veterinary medicine students at the University of Sarajevo toward euthanasia, and to assess the influence of demographic factors and practical experience on their confidence, as future veterinarians, in performing euthanasia. An anonymous questionnaire was completed by 156 students from the first to the fifth year of study. The results demonstrated significant associations between students’ views on euthanasia and factors such as gender, age, year of study, religiosity, and the type of community in which they spent most of their time. Moreover, the study identified considerable gaps in both theoretical and practical knowledge of the technical, legal, and ethical aspects of euthanasia. These findings highlight the need for curricular improvements and a more structured pedagogical approach, which would better equip future veterinarians with the knowledge, skills, and ethical competence necessary to navigate complex end-of-life decisions in clinical practice. According to available records, there has been no research conducted on this topic in Bosnia and Herzegovina so far.