With regard to the discussion at universities in Germany and respective judicial decisions, the legal possibility is investigated of providing students with euthanized animals from veterinary practices or animals that have been found naturally dead for morphological-anatomical practicals. Up to now the required animals have been most bred and killed for this purpose. According to the Notifiable Diseases Law and the Carcass Disposal Law respective animal bodies are not regarded differently from animals which are killed specifically for the practicals. In consideration of further possibilities to obtain preparation material alternatively (e.g. abattoir offal) a reasonable explanation for this killing of animals is lacking.