CARE: a welfare label to assess refinement in animal experiments

Despite decades of ethical debate and regulatory progress, animals used for research still endure considerable harm. Innovations for the benefit of animals are incremental, and their implementation is very slow. To address this issue, we propose introducing a voluntary welfare label called CARE (Critical Assessment of Refinement in Experiments). This initiative is based on the principle that laboratory animals should be offered a life worth living, characterized by positive experiences, social engagement, autonomy and opportunities for play, stimulation and development. The CARE label will formally recognize and reward publications from researchers and research groups that proactively improve the welfare of their laboratory animals beyond minimal requirements. The label will focus on three major domains of refinement: husbandry, procedures and the human-animal relationship. A three-tiered award system with bronze, silver and gold medals will recognize the extent and ambition of the implemented refinements. This approach represents a shift in focus from enforcing minimum standards to incentivizing improvements of animal welfare in scientific research. In this Perspective, we outline the conceptual basis, implementation and potential of the CARE label for animal welfare, scientific quality and the societal acceptance of animal research.