A Welfare Assessment Tool to Harmonize Care and Management for Research Rabbits.

Area of Science:

• Animal Welfare Science
• Biomedical Research Ethics
• Comparative Psychology

Background:

• Animal welfare assessment is crucial in research environments.
• Limited data exists on best practices for rabbit welfare in research.
• Rabbits are frequently used in biomedical research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the gap in rabbit welfare assessment tools.
• To develop a comprehensive tool for evaluating rabbit welfare.
• To benchmark current rabbit welfare practices internationally.

Main Methods:

• A 134-descriptor tool was created, covering physical, behavioral, environmental, training, procedural, and culture of care aspects.
• Input- and output-based welfare measures were included.
• Benchmarking assessments were conducted across 13 facilities in seven countries in March and September 2025.

Main Results:

• Overall scores ranged from 70-92% in March and 77-88% in September.
• Physical welfare consistently scored high (avg. 97-98%).
• Training (March: avg. 73%) and culture of care (September: avg. 74%) showed the most potential for improvement.

Conclusions:

• The developed tool identified strengths and areas for refinement in rabbit management programs.
• Results facilitate the creation of facility and organizational goals for enhanced rabbit welfare.
• The findings support the development of a culture of continuous improvement in animal welfare.