Animal Welfare Awareness and Career Aspirations Among Undergraduates in Animal Science-Related Disciplines: A Survey in Northeast China

For students in animal science-related disciplines, animal welfare education may be associated with their understanding of human–animal relationships and willingness to pursue animal-related careers. However, empirical research from developing countries such as China remains limited. To address this gap, we conducted a survey among undergraduates at Northeast Agricultural University to examine the associations of demographic characteristics, educational exposure, and animal-related experiences with animal welfare awareness and career aspirations. A total of 346 valid responses were obtained. The results showed that students who encountered animal welfare through school demonstrated significantly higher levels of self-reported animal welfare awareness (p < 0.001). Binary logistic regression further confirmed that the channel remained significantly associated with the level of awareness (OR = 8.714, p < 0.001). Furthermore, gender and pet-keeping experience were significantly associated with career aspirations in both univariate and logistic regression analysis. In addition, although 50.00% of respondents considered primary school to be the optimal stage for animal welfare education, 81.48% of those exposed through school channels reported their first exposure at university. These findings highlight the need for a progressive animal welfare education framework, transitioning from life education and human–animal relationship training at the primary level to professional practice education in higher education. This approach may help students develop more stable and scientifically informed understanding of animal welfare, as well as a stronger sense of professional identity.