engleski

Attitudes among Croatian veterinary students toward welfare of game animals

There is a growing concern for animal welfare worldwide, and veterinarians are increasingly expected to ensure and promote high standards of welfare of all animals. The aim of the present survey was to examine the attitudes of veterinary students in Croatia towards game animal welfare. The study included students of all years of the integrated undergraduate and graduate studies at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, in their first to sixth study years, whereby first-year students were surveyed twice, i.e. before and after attending the course on animal welfare (total sample 513 (93%) and 505 (91%) students, respectively). Student attitudes were assessed using a questionnaire containing a series of 5- point Likert scale questions. Study results showed no differences in first-year student attitudes after attending the course on animal welfare. However, first- to third-year students generally expressed significantly (P<0.05) more concerned attitudes toward game animals as compared with fourth - to sixth - year students, including more negative attitudes toward hunting and hunters, breeding and production of game animals and compromise of their welfare. The results obtained may be explained by the fact that with the progression of their study, veterinary students actually perceive hunting, breeding and production of game animals as activities that at the same time protect animals, their health and welfare, as well as the environment and biodiversity, in a specific manner, by management of hunting grounds, rather than as activities primarily focused on killing animals.

Animal welfare ; Attitudes ; Students ; Game animals

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