EN

Joanne Zurlo,Eric Hutchinson

doi:10.14573/altex.1312191

Abstract

The ultimate goal of the Three Rs is the full replacement of animals used in biomedical research and testing. However, replacement is unlikely to occur in the near future; therefore the scientific community as a whole must continue to devote considerable effort to ensure optimal animal welfare for the benefit of the science and the animals, i.e., the R of refinement. Laws governing the care and use of laboratory animals have recently been revised in Europe and the US and these place greater emphasis on promoting the well-being of the animals in addition to minimizing pain and distress. Social housing for social species is now the default condition, which can present a challenge in certain experimental settings and for certain species. The practice of positive reinforcement training of laboratory animals, particularly non-human primates, is gathering momentum but is not yet universally employed. Enhanced consideration of refinement extends to rodents, particularly mice, whose use is still increasing as more genetically modified models are generated. The wastage of extraneous mice and the method of their euthanasia are refinement issues that still need to be addressed. An international, concerted effort into defining the needs of laboratory animals is still necessary to improve the quality of the animal models used as well as their welfare.

Highlights

Components of animal welfare are generally accepted to include maintenance of good health, minimization of negative states such as pain and enhancement of positive states such as comfort and psychological well-being, and freedom to exhibit behaviors that are natural to the species (Fraser, 2009)
It is imperative that we learn how to assess the mental states of laboratory animals and address them to the point where research integrity can be preserved
The changing attitudes and practices regarding the social housing of laboratory animals are an excellent demonstration both of the impact that focusing on refinement can have on animal welfare and how much room for progress remains

Summary

Introduction

Components of animal welfare are generally accepted to include maintenance of good health, minimization of negative states such as pain and enhancement of positive states such as comfort and psychological well-being, and freedom to exhibit behaviors that are natural to the species (Fraser, 2009). While it is extremely important and a challenge to recognize pain in laboratory animals, it is imperative and at least as much of a challenge to enhance positive states and meet the needs of the animals to perform species-specific behaviors. In the absence of the opportunity to express normal behaviors, the animals may experience distress, which may be less evident than other aversive states like pain, but can contribute to poor animal welfare and compromised data.

Results

Conclusion