Publications

The choice to access outdoor areas affects the behavior of great apes

Outdoor access is often cited as a critical component of appropriate housing for great apes in captivity, and although studies have shown that offering primates choices can improve welfare, choice to access specific areas has been empirically neglected. Behavioral data...

Year Published: 2014Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: All/General, Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Kurtycz, L. M., Wagner, K. E., Ross, S. R. 2014. The choice to access outdoor areas affects the behavior of great apes. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 17(3), 185–197.

Poultry welfare: Science or subjectivity? British Poultry Science 43(5), 643–652

1. Most people in the developed world agree on what “animal welfare” is, although it is impossible to give it a precise scientific definition. 2. The argument is made that animal welfare is all to do with the feelings of...

Year Published: 2002Topics: Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Duncan, I. J. H. 2002. Poultry welfare: Science or subjectivity? British Poultry Science 43(5), 643–652.

The psychology of control: Effects of control over supplementary light on welfare of marmosets

It is often argued that increasing the amount of control that animals have over various aspects of their environment has a positive effect on their welfare, despite limited empirical evidence. We gave 12 pairs of common marmosets (Master pairs) control...

Year Published: 2012Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Buchanan-Smith, H. M., Badihi, I. 2012. The psychology of control: Effects of control over supplementary light on welfare of marmosets. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 137(3), 166–174.

Guidelines for protecting and promoting insect welfare in research

These guidelines were developed by the leadership of the Insect Welfare Research Society (IWRS). They are intended to provide guidance to individuals researching insects, in laboratory, field, education, and industry contexts. The guidelines are informed by standard principles of animal...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: Insect & Spider, Invertebrate

Citation: Fischer, B., Barrett, M., Adcock, S. et al. 2023. Guidelines for protecting and promoting insect welfare in research. Insect Welfare Research Society.

Mission creep or mission lapse? Scientific review in research oversight

Background: The ethical use both of human and non-human animals in research is predicated on the assumption that it is of a high quality and its projected benefits are more significant than the risks and harms imposed on subjects. Yet...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Waltz, M., Fisher, J. A., Walker, R. L. 2023. Mission creep or mission lapse? Scientific review in research oversight. AJOB Empirical Bioethics 14(1), 38-49.

Ultrasonic vocalizations near 30 kHz may indicate excitement rather than distress in female Wistar rats

Rats emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), sometimes referred to as 50-kHz vocalizations, during activities such as play and lower-frequency USVs, sometimes referred to as 22-kHz vocalizations, when experiencing distress. Definitions of 22-kHz vocalizations vary in terms of which frequencies should be...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, VocalizationAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Lupfer, G., Brandenburger, A., Machado, M. et al. 2023. Ultrasonic vocalizations near 30 kHz may indicate excitement rather than distress in female Wistar rats. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 261, 105881.

Run access, hutch size and time-of-day affect welfare-relevant behaviour and faecal corticosterone in pair-housed pet rabbits

Although there exist several studies examining the housing needs of rabbits kept in laboratories and for meat, studies of the requirements of pet rabbits are few and focus entirely on single rabbits. Pet rabbits are recommended to be kept in...

Year Published: 2023Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Rooney, N. J., Baker, P. E., Blackwell, E.-J. et al. 2023. Run access, hutch size and time-of-day affect welfare-relevant behaviour and faecal corticosterone in pair-housed pet rabbits. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 262, 105919.

Species specific differences in short-term behavioral reaction of voles to cage elements removal

The welfare of animals used in scientific experiments should be one of the most important things to take care of. Many kinds of research show that the enriching elements can help animals to fulfil their natural behaviour. However, those studies...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Other Rodent, Rodent

Citation: Kapusta, J., Siewierska, D., Kruczek, M. et al. 2023. Species specific differences in short-term behavioral reaction of voles to cage elements removal. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 262, 105899.

Psychosocial stress alters the immune response and results in higher viral load during acute simian immunodeficiency virus infection in a pigtailed macaque model of human immunodeficiency virus

Although social distancing is a key public health response during viral pandemics, psychosocial stressors, such as social isolation, have been implicated in adverse health outcomes in general [1] and in the context of infectious disease, such as human immunodeficiency virus...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Guerrero-Martin, S. M., Rubin, L. H., McGee, K. M. et al. 2021. Psychosocial stress alters the immune response and results in higher viral load during acute simian immunodeficiency virus infection in a pigtailed macaque model of human immunodeficiency virus. The Journal of Infectious Diseases 224(12), 2113–2121.

Conventional laboratory housing increases morbidity and mortality in research rodents: Results of a meta-analysis

Over 120 million mice and rats are used annually in research, conventionally housed in shoebox-sized cages that restrict natural behaviours (e.g. nesting and burrowing). This can reduce physical fitness, impair thermoregulation and reduce welfare (e.g. inducing abnormal stereotypic behaviours). In...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Cait, J., Cait, A., Scott, R. W. et al. 2022. Conventional laboratory housing increases morbidity and mortality in research rodents: Results of a meta-analysis. BMC Biology 20(1), 15.