Terminal labs: Controversial veterinary teaching method ebbs

When she was a veterinary student, Dr. Meghan Shannon was heartsick at the prospect of learning surgery by operating multiple times on a dog that didn't need it, then ending its life intentionally.

Being at a school in the southern United States, Shannon already felt like an outcast as a vegan Northerner sporting a crew cut and nose ring. So she didn't hesitate to openly question the practice.

This story was published on Sept. 3, 2025, as the first of a two-part series. Read or listen to part 2.

Show notes:

• A public records review of cadaver and terminal animal use in US and Canadian veterinary schools, Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, Aug. 20, 2025
• A survey of the use of live animals, cadavers, inanimate models, and computers in teaching veterinary surgery, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Oct. 1, 1993
• Guidance on the operation of the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986
• AAVMC Use of Animals in Veterinary Medical Education Handbook