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An international perspective on ethics approval in animal behaviour and welfare research

Ethics assessment is essential in studies that involve animals as subjects, which includes research on animal behaviour and welfare. Although ethics review mechanisms within institutions are long established in many regions, processes may be non-uniform across different cultures, institutions, and...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Olsson, I. A. S., Nielsen, B. L., Camerlink, I. 2022. An international perspective on ethics approval in animal behaviour and welfare research. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 253, 105658.

Enrichment is simple, that’s the problem: Using outcome-based husbandry to shift from enrichment to experience

Over the decades, the use of environmental enrichment has evolved from a necessary treatment to a “best practice” in virtually all wildlife care settings. The breadth of this evolution has widened to include more complex inputs, comprehensive evaluation of efficacy,...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Vicino, G. A., Sheftel, J. J., Radosevich, L. M. 2022. Enrichment is simple, that's the problem: Using outcome-based husbandry to shift from enrichment to experience. Animals 12(10), 1293.

To stay virtual or not to stay virtual? That is the question

Both the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released guidance about how to conduct inspections during the pandemic; some of their suggestions may be of value to retain as hybrid approaches (virtual and...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Hankenson, F. C., Pritt, S. 2022. To stay virtual or not to stay virtual? That is the question. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 10(3) (May/June), 34-36.

Protecting Canada’s lab animals: The need for legislation

Canada's current non-legislated oversight system for animal-based science not only fails to adequately incentivize the replacement of sentient animals as best scientific practice in any meaningful way, but also fails to adequately protect those animals bred, harmed, and killed in...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Black, V., Fenton, A., Ormandy, E. H. 2022. Protecting Canada's lab animals: The need for legislation. Animals 12(6), 770.

Training as enrichment: A critical review

Husbandry training and environmental enrichment are both important advancements associated with current behavioural welfare practices. Additionally, the use of training procedures has been proposed as a form of enrichment, with the implication that training can produce beneficial behavioural welfare results....

Year Published: 2022Topics: Animal Training, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Fernandez, E. J. 2022. Training as enrichment: A critical review. Animal Welfare 31(1), 1-12.

Chronic captivity stress in wild animals is highly species-specific

Wild animals are brought into captivity for many reasons—conservation, research, agriculture and the exotic pet trade. While the physical needs of animals are met in captivity, the conditions of confinement and exposure to humans can result in physiological stress. The...

Year Published: 2019Topics: HousingAnimal Type: All/General, Amphibian, Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Crocodile & Alligator, Frog & Toad, Gibbon, Lemur, Lizard, Macaque, Marine Mammal, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Animal, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Reptile, Salamander, Snake, Squirrel Monkey, Turtle & Tortoise, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Fischer, C. P., Romero, L. M. 2019. Chronic captivity stress in wild animals is highly species-specific. Conservation Physiology 7(1), coz093.

Caring for the animal caregiver—Occupational health, human-animal bond and compassion fatigue

Laboratory Animal Professionals experience many positive and rewarding interactions when caring for and working with research animals. However, these professionals also may experience conflicting feelings and exhaustion when the work is stressful due to factors such as limited resources, making...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Van Hooser, J. P., Pekow, C., Nguyen, H. M. et al. 2021. Caring for the animal caregiver—Occupational health, human-animal bond and compassion fatigue. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 8, 731003.

Animal signals, music and emotional well-being

Playing music or natural sounds to animals in human care is thought to have beneficial effects. An analysis of published papers on the use of human-based music with animals demonstrates a variety of different results even within the same species....

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Snowdon, C. T. 2021. Animal signals, music and emotional well-being. Animals 11(9), 2670.

Perceptions of laboratory animal facility managers regarding institutional transparency

Institutions that conduct animal research are often obliged to release some information under various legal or regulatory frameworks. However, within an institution, perspectives on sharing information with the broader public are not well documented. Inside animal facilities, managers exist at...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Brunt, M. W., Weary, D. M. 2021. Perceptions of laboratory animal facility managers regarding institutional transparency. PLOS ONE 16(7), e0254279.

Internal consistency and compatibility of the 3Rs and 3Vs principles for project evaluation of animal research

Using animals for research raises ethical concerns that are addressed in project evaluation by weighing expected harm to animals against expected benefit to society. A harm–benefit analysis (HBA) relies on two preconditions: (a) the study protocol is scientifically suitable and...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Eggel, M., Würbel, H. 2021. Internal consistency and compatibility of the 3Rs and 3Vs principles for project evaluation of animal research. Laboratory Animals 55(3), 233-243.