Chapter 2.3.1. Affection for Animals (2007)

LAREF [Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum]

Abstract

Animal care personnel and researchers should be encouraged to develop affectionate relationships with their animals. Having such a relationship assures that you regard the animals as living beings, rather than biological test tubes. As such, you will be more careful and more patient. You will think more about what the experimental procedure implies to the animals. You will get more creative in refining procedures that are normally stressful or distressing to the animals. You will thus enhance their well-being and, by doing so, you will increase the scientific validity of the research results.If you are not kind to your animals, make no attempt to enrich their boring, often depressing living quarters by addressing species-typical behavioral and social needs, and never show any kind of affection towards them (for example by offering them food treats from time to time), then I really don't think that you should work in an animal research laboratory.