Nunamaker Elizabeth A, Davis Shawn, O'Malley Carly I, Turner Patricia V
Animal Care Services, University of Florida, 1600 Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
Animal Care Services, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St Catherines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada.
Animals (Basel). 2021 Jul 7;11(7):2031. doi: 10.3390/ani11072031.
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 cumulative and experimental endpoints. This paper aims to explore current opinions and institutional strategies regarding cumulative use and endpoints through a scoping survey and review of current regulations and welfare assessment tools, and ultimately to provide recommendations for assessment of cumulative and lifetime use of research animals. The survey found that only 36% of respondents indicated that their institution had cumulative use endpoint policies in place, but these policies may be informal and/or vary by species. Most respondents supported more specific guidelines but expressed concerns about formal policies that may limit their ability to make case-by-case decisions. The wide diversity in how research animals are used makes it difficult for specific policies to be implemented. Endpoint decisions should be made in an objective manner using standardized welfare assessment tools. Future research should focus on robust, efficient welfare assessment tools that can be used to support planning and recommendations for cumulative endpoints and lifetime use of research and teaching animals.
实验动物对科学进步至关重要，因此，需要监测它们的长期福利，不仅要尽量减少痛苦，还要提供积极的情感状态和体验。目前，世界各国在累积和实验终点方面的指导有限。本文旨在通过范围界定调查以及对现行法规和福利评估工具的审查，探讨关于累积使用和终点的当前观点及机构策略，并最终为研究动物的累积使用和终生使用评估提供建议。调查发现，只有36%的受访者表示其所在机构制定了累积使用终点政策，但这些政策可能是非正式的，且/或因物种而异。大多数受访者支持更具体的指导方针，但对可能限制其逐案决策能力的正式政策表示担忧。实验动物使用方式的广泛多样性使得具体政策难以实施。应使用标准化的福利评估工具以客观方式做出终点决策。未来的研究应聚焦于强大、高效的福利评估工具，这些工具可用于支持关于研究和教学动物累积终点及终生使用的规划和建议。
