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A Good Life for Laboratory Rodents?

I Joanna Makowska1,2, Daniel M Weary1

  • 1Animal Welfare Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

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|April 21, 2020
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We propose a higher standard of care for laboratory animals, advocating for a "good life" as a prerequisite for research use. This involves enriching environments and opportunities for animals to express natural behaviors.

Keywords:
agencyanimal welfarecomplexityfree-rangenatural behavioursocialization

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Area of Science:

  • Animal Welfare Science
  • Laboratory Animal Science
  • Ethical Research

Background:

  • Current standards for research animals focus on minimizing harm, but a higher ethical benchmark is needed.
  • Growing interest in environmental enrichment for laboratory animals.
  • The concept of a
  • good life
  • for research animals is proposed as a new standard.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To define and illustrate a vision of a
  • good life
  • for laboratory rats and mice.
  • To provide a roadmap for implementing this higher standard of care in research settings.
  • To outline minimum day-to-day living conditions for rodents in research.

Main Methods:

  • Reviewing housing modifications and designs to support animal well-being.
  • Examining types of human-animal interactions compatible with a "good life" for rodents.
  • Exploring post-research life options for laboratory animals, including pet models and adoption.

Main Results:

  • A "good life" requires animals to express a rich behavioral repertoire and engage actively with their environment.
  • Specific housing strategies, from modified cages to free-ranging options, can facilitate a "good life".
  • Interactions and post-research life opportunities are crucial components of animal well-being.

Conclusions:

  • Implementing a "good life" standard is achievable through changes in housing, interaction, and post-research care.
  • This higher standard moves beyond merely avoiding harm to actively promoting animal flourishing.
  • Recommendations are provided for achieving this vision in laboratory animal research.