All/General

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.

A real-time health notification system aimed at enhancing the interaction between animal care staff and researchers promotes animal welfare

Regardless of the microbiological status of an animal facility, research animals may experience health problems, leading to pain, suffering and distress. Simple and efficient tools are needed to collect data systematically, allowing researchers to react and resolve animals' health issues....

Year Published: 2021Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General, Chinchilla, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Mouse, Other Rodent, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Yatkin, E., Kulmala, N., Saukkonen, A. et al. 2021. A real-time health notification system aimed at enhancing the interaction between animal care staff and researchers promotes animal welfare. Laboratory Animals 55(3), 281-289.

Behavioral management is a key component of ethical research

Behavioral management programs aim to enhance the welfare of animal subjects that participate in research, thereby enhancing our ability to conduct ethical research projects. Socialization strategies, environmental enrichment techniques, opportunities for subjects to voluntarily participate in research procedures, and the...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Schapiro, S. J., Neal Webb, S. J., Mulholland, M. M. et al. 2019. Behavioral management is a key component of ethical research. ILAR Journal 60(3), 389-396.

Moving beyond the absence of pain and distress: Focusing on positive animal welfare

For many years, researchers, veterinarians, animal ethics committees, and regulators have focused on minimizing pain and distress as a primary goal of refinement when working with animals in science. More recent publications as well as a shift in animal ethics...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Turner, P. V. 2019. Moving beyond the absence of pain and distress: Focusing on positive animal welfare. ILAR Journal 60(3), 366-372.

Brexit: A boon or a curse for animals used in scientific procedures?

The UK has long been hailed as one of the world leaders in animal welfare. Within the UK, animals used in experiments are provided some protection under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). This Act was impacted by European...

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

Citation: Dunn, R. 2021. Brexit: A boon or a curse for animals used in scientific procedures? Animals 11(6), 1547.

The interactive stress assessment in basic animal science training

In order to assess the extent to which the legally prescribed training for the acquisition of animal experimentation expertise provides scientific personnel with the necessary competence and expertise to carry out a correct harm-benefit analysis in the context of animal...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General, Guinea Pig, Mouse, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent, Sheep

Citation: Manthey, T., Nagel-Riedasch, S., Dülsner, A. 2021. The interactive stress assessment in basic animal science training. Animals 11(7), 2145.

Developing recommendations for cumulative endpoints and lifetime use for research animals

Research animals are important for scientific advancement, and therefore, their long-term welfare needs to be monitored to not only minimize suffering, but to provide positive affective states and experiences. Currently, there is limited guidance in countries around the world on...

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

Citation: Nunamaker, E. A., Davis, S., O'Malley, C. I. et al. 2021. Developing recommendations for cumulative endpoints and lifetime use for research animals. Animals 11(7), 2031.

Effect of environmental enrichment on the brain and on learning and cognition by animals

The humane treatment of animals suggests that they should be housed in an environment that is rich in stimulation and allows for varied activities. However, even if one's main concern is an accurate assessment of their learning and cognitive abilities,...

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

Citation: Zentall, T. R. 2021. Effect of environmental enrichment on the brain and on learning and cognition by animals. Animals 11(4), 973.