Med. Weter. 81 (6), 313-317, 2025
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| MICHAŁ TRACZ, AGNIESZKA JACKOWSKA-TRACZ, ANDRZEJ DZIKOWSKI |
| Animal Welfare in the Polish Veterinary Code of Ethics Versus Selected Veterinary Codes of Ethics |
| The practice of the veterinary profession is regulated by public law and corporate regulations. The codes of veterinary ethics are the most fundamental corporate regulations of veterinary associations, to which membership is a condition of practising the profession. The codes of ethics contain five basic rules for practising veterinary responsibilities to animals, clients, the public, the veterinary team, and the veterinarians themselves. Veterinarians are often faced with dilemmas about whose interests to protect; this is due to the tasks the profession carries out while protecting the animals of their owners and the public. Ethical principles are a guideline for veterinarians under challenging situations. Different decisions can be made depending on the hierarchy of values imposed by codes of ethics. In this article, we present the importance of the Polish code of veterinary ethics in animal welfare as an obligation of veterinarians towards animals. We compare how animal welfare is positioned in the European, American, British and New Zealand codes of veterinary ethics. In contrast to other codes, the Polish code of veterinary ethics does not sufficiently recognise animal welfare as a value to be protected in the profession. |
| Keywords: veterinary medicine; law; professional ethics; moral philosophy; code of ethics |