Animal Research Ethics

Research animal

Animals that are used or intended to be used in animal experiments

Kept at a facility or another housing area for experimental animals

• “Animals shall be treated well and protected from unnecessary suffering and disease.”

• Animals are allowed to suffer in research if it is considered necessary.

Ethical permits are needed for

• Certain species

  • mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, cyclostomata, octopus

• Certain experiments

Not needed if

• you have the owner’s permission

• for e.g. enrichment or observational studies at zoos etc

3R

• Replace

• Reduce

• Refine

• (Respect)

• (Responsibility)

Humane end point

Predefined criteria on when to end (interrupt) the experiment

• “upper limit of suffering”

• Not equal to experimental endpoint

Sentience

Ability to obtain and interpret stimuli + has a basic ability for memory, judgment, and emotion

• Not equal to intelligence

Nocireception

• Not equal to experience of pain/suffering

• E.g. insects still react to pain/stress but we don’t know how it actually affects them