Students also examine the role culture plays in animal treatment and the origins of varying attitudes. The goal is for students to appreciate the relationship between ethics and science, justify a moral point of view, and be creative in solving animal welfare problems, Duncan said. I want the students to learn to be sensitive to others' points of view. I hope they leave my class with their minds opened up a bit, but I also want them to be confident to speak their mind. Duncan has had plenty of practice doing just that, having spent his career in a field many still do not understand.
All vertebrate animals can suffer and therefore deserve to be treated humanely.