Attitudes of Australian and Turkish students of veterinary medicine toward nonhuman animals and their careers

We examined attitudes toward nonhuman animal welfare and rights and career aspirations in Australian and Turkish veterinary students. A representative university was selected in each country, with 190 first- and third-year students sampled in each. Survey questions addressed attitudes toward nonhuman animal welfare/rights, and intended career. Australian and Turkish students were predominately female and male, respectively, but attitudes were similar between sexes. Australian students rated keeping companion animals and hormonal desexing more acceptable, and food and rest deprivation, pain during slaughter, and using animals in experiments less acceptable than Turkish students. Keeping companion animals related strongly with students’ moral values, their decision to study veterinary medicine, and program satisfaction. More Australian than Turkish students wanted to enter clinical practice. Thus veterinary students of these two culturally contrasting countries demonstrated both differences and universalities, such as companion animal keeping, which influenced their attitudes toward animals and career aspirations.</p

The relationship between student consumption of animal products and attitudes to animals in Europe and Asia

Purpose: This research aims to determine the relationship between the consumption of animal products and attitudes towards animals among university students in Eurasia. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was conducted with collaborators in each country who supervised volunteers to personally invite 16,777 students to take part. The sample was composed of 3,433 students from 103 universities in 11 Eurasian countries. ANOVA was used to compare the responses. All analyses were conducted using the statistical packages Minitab 15 and SPSS 15. Findings: A total of 47 per cent of university students avoided some meat products, 4 per cent were vegetarians and 0.4 per cent vegans. Students avoiding some meat did so principally for environmental and health reasons, and beef and lamb were the meats most likely to be avoided. Vegetarians avoided meat mainly for health reasons. Vegans had greater concern about humans using animals than vegetarians, who in turn had greater concerns than those avoiding some meat. Social implications: Avoidance of animal products was related to an increased level of concern for animal rights, animal experimentation and wildlife, with vegans demonstrating the greatest concern. This implied that students' attitudes to animal welfare and rights can affect animal product-eating behaviours. Originality/value: This study conflicts with previous studies by demonstrating that health rather than environment was a major reason for vegetarianism. The study highlights the importance of environmental, health and welfare concerns but not religion in avoidance of animal products

Attitudes to animal welfare and rights throughout the world in the modern era: a review

Animal rights and animal welfare issues are topical issues, with many people across the world expressing concern about the major welfare problems of animals. These problems are generally based on people attitudes that affect the animals' life. It is therefore important to learn about people's attitudes towards animal issues. We investigated society's opinions about the animals in a series of cross-cultural surveys. People who live in developed countries generally display more concern to animals than others, which appears due to their economic circumstances and ability to support high welfare systems. However, there is a common belief across societies that farm animal welfare should be maintained, and that we should support animal friendly rearing systems which at least ensure minimum standards of animal welfare. But, because of the high cost of animal friendly products many people are unable to consume these products. Besides, vegetarianism has been becoming more mainstream in many parts of the developed world over the last half century. Animal welfare concern is one of the important causes for avoiding animal products, especially meat. Most people support animal experimentation if these will be beneficial to human and animal lives. Gender is an important demographic determining factor, with females being generally more sympathetic to animals than males. Furthermore, large sized animals are generally accepted as more sentience animals. It is concluded that benign attitudes to animals are becoming more mainstream, particularly in relation to animals reared for meat

Hayvan Koruma Kavramı ve Biyoetik Çerçevesinde Yaban Hayatı Koruma ve Yaban Hayatı Geliştirme Sahaları

The future of environment run into risk by human activities is an important issue of present days which also covers ethics and deontological aspects.Related acts as well as ethical approaches concerning with topic will be beneficial to solve the above issue. The process of Wildlife Protection and ImprovementAreas has been evolved with different arrangements since 1966, in Turkey. This study aimed to evaluate the Wildlife Protection and Improvement Areas interms of bioethics and animal protection. The study materials consisted of animal protection and local acts of wildlife (Animal Protection Act, Land HuntingLaw, Fisheries Law, Decree - Law Regarding Special Environment Protection Areas, and National Parks Law), as well as several Treaties Ratified by Turkey (BERN,CITES, Ramsar and Biodiversity). Turkey has too many protection areas in various statute, such as; National Park, Nature Park, Natural Reserve Area, NaturalProtected Area, Special Environment Protection, Internationally Important Wetland, Wildlife Protection and Improvement Areas. In total, it was determined 109Wildlife Protection Areas and 79 Wildlife Improvement Areas, as well. However, 11 animal species and waterfowls have been taken under protection inWildlife Improvement Areas. It was also emerged that the numbers of wild animals has increased and remarkable improvements have been occurred atthis period in the Wildlife Improvement Areas by launching new acts. The wild animal species which are face to face with reducing generation or die out,are taken protection and some are being breeding in their natural area without giving harm to their ecosystem in accordance with Land Hunting Act. Tofulfill respective aims, a protection of delicate natural balance and warrant of biodiversity are both necessary measures. In conclusion, it may be expressedthe national arrangements that takes into consideration the international conventions, contributes to wildlife protection. Moreover, Turkey needs to beincreased concerning studies in this respect. As a result, it can be implied that zoo-centric approach which based on the value, importance and rights of theentities should be become widespread in the Turkish society</p

Attitudes of Australian and Turkish students of veterinary medicine toward nonhuman animals and their careers

We examined attitudes toward nonhuman animal welfare and rights and career aspirations in Australian and Turkish veterinary students. A representative university was selected in each country, with 190 first- and third-year students sampled in each. Survey questions addressed attitudes toward nonhuman animal welfare/rights, and intended career. Australian and Turkish students were predominately female and male, respectively, but attitudes were similar between sexes. Australian students rated keeping companion animals and hormonal desexing more acceptable, and food and rest deprivation, pain during slaughter, and using animals in experiments less acceptable than Turkish students. Keeping companion animals related strongly with students’ moral values, their decision to study veterinary medicine, and program satisfaction. More Australian than Turkish students wanted to enter clinical practice. Thus veterinary students of these two culturally contrasting countries demonstrated both differences and universalities, such as companion animal keeping, which influenced their attitudes toward animals and career aspirations