Ethics of using animals in research and testing

Watch the two videos in your activity toolkit. While watching, make notes on:

• What kinds of suffering or welfare problems animals may experience
• Why is it important that scientists try to reduce suffering?
• What alternatives to using animals in research and testing are mentioned?
   

The principles of the 3Rs were developed to reduce the use and suffering and to improve the lives of animals used in science, in response to ethical and animal welfare concerns about animal research and testing. The 3Rs are Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement. Read more about the 3Rs here, and then look at the examples on the worksheet.

For each example:

• Decide whether it is an example of Replacement, Reduction, or Refinement
• Explain why
• Describe how it could help to improve animal welfare, and reduce suffering and/or reduce ethical concerns

As part of your research, reflect on the examples below. Then, discuss the examples below with 3–5 people and make notes on their responses using the questions on the worksheet.

Example 1 - Giving a rat a brain injury to try to understand the impact on brain functioning (for example, how memory is affected) and to assess potential treatments for humans who have experienced similar injuries.

Example 2 - Testing different flavours and strengths of e-cigarette liquids on mice to assess any potential negative effects on human health.

Example 3 - Trying to create and breed pigs with a specific genetic alteration that means they are less susceptible to a serious lung disease seen in many farmed pigs.

Using your research, reflections, and interviews, write a short conclusion answering: How can humans make responsible and compassionate decisions about using animals in research and testing?