Laboratory Animal Welfare

The use of animals in research, testing, and teaching is a global enterprise, but the issues facing such use vary regionally as well as in specific countries. This chapter addresses several trends in laboratory animal welfare that cut across country borders such as training of veterinarians in laboratory animal medicine, implementation of the Three Rs, issues surrounding outsourcing/offshoring animal use, harmonization efforts in the care and use of laboratory animals, how the availability of various medications and diagnostic test kits may affect welfare, the increasing implementation of environmental enrichment across species and countries, concerns regarding transportation of laboratory animals, increasing attention to laboratory animal welfare, and other topics of overarching significance. The status of these subjects in various countries is described to illustrate the complexity of the global landscape of research animal welfare, to underscore the progress that has been made in enhancing welfare, and to highlight the variety of welfare concerns being considered and addressed.