The Welfare of Animals Used in Research (eBook)

Robert Hubrecht OBE BSc PhD FSB is Deputy Scientific Director of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) and is an acclaimed scholar in this area. He is a zoologist who has specialised in ethology and applied ethology and has studied the behaviour and physiology of animals both in the wild and in the laboratory. He is co-editor of The UFAW Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory and Other Research Animals.

Foreword vii

Preface ix

Dedication and Acknowledgements xi

1 Introduction 1

1.1 Reasons for Using Animals in Research 1

1.2 Where Animal Research is Carried Out 3

1.3 Numbers of Animals Used 4

1.4 Harmful and Harmless Research 6

1.5 How Much Suffering is Caused by Research? 7

1.6 Attitudes to Animal Experimentation 9

1.7 The Moral Imperative 18

1.8 Trust in the System 22

2 The Use of Legislative and Other Controls on Animal
Research to Meet Public Expectations and Improve Animal Welfare
26

2.1 Introduction 26

2.2 Levels of Control 29

2.3 Scope of Controls 37

2.4 Systems for Ethical Review and Authorisation 42

2.5 Performance and Engineering Standards 45

2.6 Roles and Responsibility 50

2.7 Legislation and Licences 51

2.8 Enforcement and Failure to Comply 52

3 Animal Rights and Animal Welfare: Philosophy and Science
58

3.1 Introduction 58

3.2 Animal Rights and Animal Welfare: Making a Distinction
59

3.3 Animal Welfare Science 63

3.4 Funding and Promoting Animal Welfare Research 85

3.5 The Benefits of Animal Welfare Science 86

4 Species Choice and Animal Welfare 88

4.1 Introduction 88

4.2 Consciousness/Sentience: Evidence for Protecting Particular
Taxa 89

4.3 Are Some Species Capable of Suffering More Than Others?
Neurological Complexity and Capacity to Suffer 104

4.4 Beastly Bias in Practice 108

4.5 An Evolutionary Approach to Assessing Suffering 120

5 The Harm-Benefit Judgement 123

5.1 Introduction 123

5.2 Who Should Be Involved? 126

5.3 Factors To Be Considered in Harm-Benefit Decisions
129

5.4 Decision Tools 154

5.5 The Requirement for Ethical Review 157

6 Improving the Welfare of Animals Used in Research: The 3Rs
159

6.1 Introduction: The Origins of the 3Rs 159

6.2 Replacement 163

6.3 Reduction 169

6.4 Refinement 175

6.5 Conflicts Between the 3Rs 201

6.6 Training 202

6.7 Sources of Information on the 3Rs 203

7 Science and Animal Welfare: A Partnership 205

7.1 Replacement Methods: Scientific and Other Advantages 205

7.2 Reduction: Scientific and Other Advantages 209

7.3 Refinement: Scientific and Other Advantages 210

7.4 Changes in Laboratory Animal Science and Challenges for the
Future? 219

7.5 Maintaining the Momentum 223

7.6 Conclusion 224

References 226

Glossary 259

Index 262

"To me, overall this is a very good book that provides a balanced view of the issues around animal welfare. It is a good read." (Laboratory Animal Practitioner, 1 May 2015)

"This book is geared toward members of institutional animal care and use committees, researchers, and veterinarians and is a practical guide for discussions pertaining to the welfare of animals used in research." (JAVMA, 15 December 2014)

"To me, overall this is a very good book that provides a balanced view of the issues around animal welfare. It is a good read." (Laboratory Animal Practitioner, 1 October 2014)

"Overall, the factual description of how animals are used in research balanced by the author's personal experiences and perspective makes this book highly readable. 'The Welfare of Animals used in Research' is a great addition, which will be essential reading for those working with laboratory animals and of general interest to those new to the field." (Veterinary Record, 12 July 2014)

"Overall, this book is a welcome arrival to a debate that is too often split between misrepresentative arguments recycled from activist websites on one side and defensive responses dumbing down the complexity of scientific discovery on the other. I recommend it to anyone who believes the debate over animal research is of sufficient importance to be worth being well-informed." (Australian Veterinary Journal, 7 July 2016)

"The author has produced a wide-ranging and up-to-date overview of
how and why animals are used in research, and the ethical and
welfare issues that this raises. Our current state of knowledge is
clearly explained, together with some excellent examples of the
application of the 3Rs to animal research. The author has dealt
with a difficult and controversial topic in a balanced manner that
will encourage informed debate. This book should be read by all
those involved in the use of animals in research and by anyone who
has interests or concerns as to how this type of research is
conducted."

--Professor Paul Flecknell, University of Newcastle,
UK