Veterinary pathology has a long history dating back to ancient Greece where animal dissection was used to further the understanding of human anatomy and disease, laying the foundation for the field. Rudolf Virchow, considered the father of modern pathology, studied disease through visits to abattoirs and implemented meat inspection by early veterinary pathologists. While the 1800s saw greater progress in human pathology, pioneers in Germany and Austria began establishing veterinary pathology as a legitimate field through systematic necropsy procedures and descriptive guides of animal disease.