Should Veterinary Students Participate in Terminal Surgery Labs?

Michigan State University recently announced that they will no longer be using terminal surgery labs to teach their students surgical skills. Terminal surgery labs have been protested by animal rights groups like Animalearn, who dislike the fact that healthy animals are euthanized after being used to train students in various surgical procedures. Instead, students at MSU will use cadavers and models to learn these techniques.

However, a two-year study of universities estimated that 52% of higher learning institutions were using animals for "cruel and unnecessary" research and training purposes like dissection, intubation, and more. What are your thoughts about this practice? Is it important for veterinary students to learn on real, live animals or is it inhumane and unnecessary?