Animals are frequently utilized as a teaching-learning tool in multiple educational settings. It is, therefore, important to understand what students think about this topic, in particular medical and veterinary students as “life caregivers” and competent people for a dynamic and responsible social intervention. In this context, this research aims to characterize and disseminate a set of issues related to animal welfare/wellbeing in higher education in the North of Portugal, particularly as regards the teaching of students of the Integrated Master in Medicine (MIM) and Veterinary Medicine (MIMV). After ethical approval, a survey was delivered on paper to 180 undergraduate MIM (n = 100) and MIMV (n = 80) students. After collecting 139 questionnaires partially or fully completed, with varying response rates for each question, it was concluded that most of the students consider that animal experimentation is ethically acceptable when the benefits balance the harms and assuming that refinement of animal procedures is warranted; they also agree to the establishment, maintenance and performance of animal procedures solely for educational purposes as a way of ensuring optimal acquisition of theoretical knowledge, attitudes and behaviors and technical skills. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of teachers to explore and implement pedagogical methodologies thar are equally effective but more humane and compassionate towards sentient living beings.

在多种教育环境中，动物经常被用作教学工具。因此，了解学生对此主题的看法非常重要，特别是医学和兽医专业的学生作为“生命照顾者”和有能力进行动态和负责任的社会干预的人。在此背景下，本研究旨在描述和传播葡萄牙北部高等教育中与动物福利/福祉相关的一系列问题，特别是在医学综合硕士（MIM）和兽医学（MIM）学生的教学方面（ MIMV）。经过伦理批准后，我们​​向 180 名 MIM (n = 100) 和 MIMV (n = 80) 本科生进行了纸质调查。在收集了部分或全部完成的 139 份问卷（每个问题的答复率不同）后，得出的结论是，大多数学生认为，当利益平衡危害并假设动物实验的改进是有必要时，动物实验在道德上是可以接受的；他们还同意仅出于教育目的建立、维持和实施动物程序，作为确保最佳获取理论知识、态度和行为以及技术技能的一种方式。然而，教师有责任探索和实施同样有效但对众生更加人道和富有同情心的教学方法。