Hi Alanna!
I'm so glad to hear you are interested in studying to become a veterinarian and are unwilling to compromise your ethical beliefs in order to do so! And lovely to hear you're a vegan - there certainly aren't many at all in the veterinary degree ...I'm a current veterinary student at the University of Sydney, and am also a vegan (though I only began this year)!
I definitely believe you will be able to study veterinary science without having to compromise your ethical standards, though this may also depend (somewhat) on your choice of university - I believe Murdoch University and the University of Sydney would provide the most appropriate curricula for this purpose.
Fortunately, the University of Sydney Veterinary Faculty is leading in animal welfare practices compared to other universities in Australia. We (and Murdoch vet students) are not required to conduct terminal surgeries (as some Aus. vet schools still do), and you will certainly not be required to perform any live animal experiments. Most importantly, our veterinary faculty has a policy here:
http://sydney.edu.au/vetscience/future_students/undergraduate/animal_welfare.shtml which states that they ceased the killing of animals specifically for educational purposes in the mid-90's (more like the year 2000, though). Hence, it is necessary for them to adhere to these claims, and if you believe anything in the degree contradicts this, you have every right to declare it.
While we participate in dissections upon dogs (starting from 1st year), the cadavers we practice on are ex-racing greyhounds and pound (shelter) dogs that have been euthanised independently of our usage of them. Unfortunately, the ex-racing greyhounds are essentially "wastage" from the excessively bred greyhound racing industry, comprising of greyhounds that are no longer considered profitable to their owners. Similarly, the pound dogs we receive have usually been euthanised due to overpopulation at their respective pounds; i.e. they are often healthy dogs. Therefore, these dogs are not actually "ethically-sourced" forms of learning, since "ethically-sourced" is defined as cadavers that have been obtained due to animals dying naturally, in an accident, or due to medical reasons. We also use abattoir specimens for some of our dissections – and while these are similarly independent by-products from an industry – they are not classified as ethically-sourced.
In general most students are unperturbed by conducting dissections upon these specimens (potentially - in part - due to rapid desensitisation), and for the reason that the dogs and abattoir animals have been killed independently of our educational purposes. However, if you do feel that using these sources oppose your ethical beliefs, then you are absolutely entitled to apply for Conscientious Objection (
http://sydney.edu.au/vetscience/documents/policies/Conscientiousobjectiionpolicy.pdf) in which case the Vet Faculty are obliged to provide you with alternative learning resources to enable you to gain the same skills and learning objectives you would otherwise have acquired. This would most probably be in the form of obtaining ethically-sourced cadavers (i.e. deceased dogs willingly donated by clients), or potentially utilising innovative technologies such as simulators (or plastinated models/video demonstrations, etc).
I definitely encourage you to check out some resources covering this area. Dr Andrew Knight is a vegan vet who actually led a very publicised campaign in the late 90’s to initiate the first Conscientious Objection policy in Australia (he was at Murdoch University), after which my university immediately followed suit. He conducted extensive work to achieve elimination of invasive animal use in the veterinary degree.
You can find his Guide to Conscientious Objection here (as others have already mentioned):
http://www.interniche.org/AKCOGuide.pdf …it contains some very inspiring stories from himself and other students who have fought for their right to conscientiously object, and provides material to enable you to effectively conscientiously object. (Though they were required do participate in much more invasive procedures which fortunately you will not have to encounter if you enter this veterinary degree).
You can also find a lot more info and fantastic resources from Dr Knight here:
http://www.learningwithoutkilling.info/pages/resources.htm
I absolutely enjoy participating in my veterinary degree - we have some fantastic lecturers, and the material we learn (as well as the prac work we get the opportunity to partake in) is fascinating (albeit substantial!) While you will encounter a range of opinions, and learn that not all vets necessarily prioritise animal welfare, it will be your own interest which will drive you forward and keep you motivated! And, just remember, you always have the power to question and demand the highest ethical standards. ..I definitely hope you will not be deterred from your passion to become a veterinarian! ...Hope this helps a little! And many apologies for writing so much!!
Cheers and all the best!
Sy
(University of Sydney Animal Welfare Society)
