All/General

A guide to defining and implementing protocols for the welfare assessment of laboratory animals: Eleventh report of the BVAAWF/FRAME/RSPCA/UFAW Joint Working Group on Refinement

The refinement of husbandry and procedures to reduce animal suffering and improve welfare is an essential component of humane science. Successful refinement depends upon the ability to assess animal welfare effectively, and detect any signs of pain or distress as...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Hawkins, P., Morton, D. B., Burman, O. et al. 2011. A guide to defining and implementing protocols for the welfare assessment of laboratory animals: Eleventh report of the BVAAWF/FRAME/RSPCA/UFAW Joint Working Group on Refinement. Laboratory Animals 45(1), 1-13.

An effective, economical method of reducing environmental noise in the vivarium

High levels of ambient noise can have detrimental effects on laboratory animal wellbeing and may affect experimental results. In addition, excessive noise can reduce technician comfort and performance. This study was performed to determine whether inexpensive, passive acoustic noise abatement...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Young, M. T., French, A. L., Clymer, J. W. 2011. An effective, economical method of reducing environmental noise in the vivarium. JAALAS 50(4), 513-515.

A good life for laboratory animals – How far must refinement go? Alternatives to Animal Experimentation [ALTEX] Proceedings of WC8, 11-13

Refinement typically is viewed as a means of reducing harms to animals used in laboratory research. Examples of recent research on refinement include improved methods of handling and euthanasia. Focus in the animal welfare literature is now shifting from simply...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Natural Behavior, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Weary, D. M. 2011. A good life for laboratory animals - How far must refinement go? Alternatives to Animal Experimentation [ALTEX] Proceedings of WC8, 11-13.

ENRICHMENT as a moral presupposition of animal research

Enrichment is therefore not the bighearted largess that much of the research community seems to believe it is. Rather, it represents an obvious step towards creating a decent life for research animals and minimizing avoidable suffering. The fact that providing...

Year Published: 2012Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Rollin, B. E. 2012. ENRICHMENT as a moral presupposition of animal research. Enrichment Record 10, 13-16.

The Animal Welfare Act: From enactment to enforcement

Originally enacted in 1966, the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act has been amended several times and renamed the Animal Welfare Act. Responsibility for administering the Animal Welfare Act was delegated within the United States Department of Agriculture to the Administrator of...

Year Published: 2012Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Cardon, A. D., Bailey, M. R., Bennett, B. T. 2012. The Animal Welfare Act: From enactment to enforcement. JAALAS 51(3), 301-305.

History of enrichment in the ILAR Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals

Throughout the nearly 50 year history of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR) Guide, little attention or content was allocated to the subject of enrichment until the current (8th) edition (NRC 2011). Although animal wellbeing, social environment, psychological well-being...

Year Published: 2012Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Bratcher, N., Clemons, D., Medina, L. 2012. History of enrichment in the ILAR Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Enrichment Record 12, 10-12.

Using enrichment to improve welfare and reduce suffering

European Directive 2010/63/EU requires that accommodation and care are refined so as to minimize suffering, and that the lifetime experience of the animal is taken into account when assessing the actual severity of procedures. So, with respect to these requirements,...

Year Published: 2012Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Winnicker, C., Gaskill, B. 2012. Using enrichment to improve welfare and reduce suffering. Enrichment Record 12, 16-19.

Manzanita wood: A sanitizable enrichment option for nonhuman primates

Wooden objects are often used as nonhuman primate enrichment to provide variety and novelty, promote exploratory behavior, and supply an outlet for curiosity. However, concerns have been raised regarding the ability to sanitize wood by using conventional cage-wash procedures. To...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: All/General, Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Luchins, K. R., Baker, K. C., Gilbert, M. H. et al. 2011. Manzanita wood: A sanitizable enrichment option for nonhuman primates. JAALAS 50(6), 884-887.

ICLAS Working Group on Harmonization: International guidance concerning the production care and use of genetically-altered animals

Replacement, Reduction and Refinement, the Three Rs of Russell & Burch, are accepted worldwide as fundamental to the ethics of animal experimentation. The production, care and use of genetically-altered animals can pose particular challenges to the implementation of the Three...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Rose, M., Everitt, J., Hedrich, H. et al. 2013. ICLAS Working Group on Harmonization: International guidance concerning the production care and use of genetically-altered animals. Laboratory Animals 47(3), 146-192.

Targeted approaches for enrichment: Nutrition offers many benefits for laboratory animals

The field of laboratory animal enrichment is continually evolving. New enrichment products, methodologies, and protocols are being developed, revised and updated daily, and for good reason: enrichment is a critical component to improving and maintaining the health and well-being of...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Palmer, J. 2013. Targeted approaches for enrichment: Nutrition offers many benefits for laboratory animals. Enrichment Record 17, 10-11.