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In November, AWI hosted an exhibit at the annual symposium of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science—the world’s largest gathering of personnel involved in the production, care, and use of animals in laboratories. We distributed hundreds of books related to improving the welfare of animals in laboratories and took orders for our newest book, Refinements
As of October, National Institutes of Health grant recipients are allowed to allocate a portion of their funding to the rehoming and retirement of animals after their use in experimentation. This could provide second chances for animals who otherwise would have been killed after their time in research and testing came to an end. AWI
Through October 13, AWI is accepting applications for its Refinement Research Award and its Implementing Refinement Grant. Refinements, in this context, are improvements to the housing, husbandry, and care of animals used in experimentation to minimize pain, suffering, and distress. The Refinement Research Award offers up to $15,000 for research projects designed to study, develop,
AWI is excited to announce the 25th anniversary relaunch of our Refinement Database, which has been updated and modernized and can now be accessed via a brand-new website: refinementdatabase.org. This database contains a vast array of curated scientific articles, books, and other publications related to improving or safeguarding the welfare of animals used in research and
Nonhuman primates housed in indoor laboratory environments are generally exposed to blank walls. This environment is not ideal for species whose primary sensory modality is visual. The aim of this study, which was funded by an AWI Refinement Research Award, was to assess the potential welfare benefits of providing a passive natural audio-visual stimulus to
AWI’s Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum (LAREF) is an online discussion forum where individuals working with animals in research share their ideas and experiences related to improving the welfare of animals under their care. Recently, Dr. Joanna Makowska, AWI’s laboratory animal advisor, asked members a question that generated a lively discussion, reproduced below. The
The Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum (LAREF) is an online platform, hosted by AWI, where individuals working with animals in research share ideas and experiences related to improving the welfare of animals under their care. Recently, Renee Gainer asked for recommendations for pig scratchers. Jacqueline Schwartz, Lorraine Bell, Brianna Gaskill, Evelyn Skoumbourdis, Michele Cunneen, Viktor Reinhardt,
AWI’s Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum (LAREF) is an electronic discussion forum facilitating the factual exchange of experiences about ways to refine the conditions under which animals are housed and handled in research institutions. The forum is intended to serve the international animal care community in its effort to promote animal welfare and improve
AWI is pleased to announce publication of It’s Okay to Cry: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum, Volume V. Since 2002, AWI’s Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum (LAREF) has facilitated the sharing of ideas and experiences of animal care personnel who strive to improve the conditions under which all animals in research
A recent discussion on the Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum (LAREF) focused on new enrichment ideas for rabbits. Brianna Parkinson initiated the conversation to share her experience and to ask what others have tried. Sarah Thurston, Steven Ortiz, Jacqueline Schwartz, Leslie Jenkins, Michele Cunneen, and Lorraine Bell all chimed in on which toys and
A LAREF Discussion This past December on AWI’s Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum (LAREF), a question posed by Erik Moreau prompted a discussion on whether talking to animals in a laboratory setting helps reduce their stress. Further, does announcing a certain procedure make it more predictable for the animals and does that communication have
AWI is pleased to announce publication of Committed to Animal Welfare: Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum, Volume IV, edited by Viktor Reinhardt. Since 2002, AWI’s Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum (LAREF) has facilitated the exchange of ideas and the sharing of personal knowledge and experience by animal care personnel who strive
As the USDA considers a Petition for Rulemaking to establish criteria to promote the psychological well-being of primates, a discussion concerning regulations based on “performance standards” as opposed to “engineering standards” is timely. The use of performance standards for animals in research was the topic of a roundtable this spring by the Institute for Laboratory
AWI is pleased to announce publication of Compassion Makes a Difference, the third volume of discussions from the Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum (LAREF), edited by longtime AWI laboratory animal advisor, Viktor Reinhardt. The online forum facilitates the exchange of ideas and the sharing of personal knowledge and experience by animal care personnel who seek
The Improved Standards for Laboratory Animals amendments to the Animal Welfare Act were signed into law in 1985. The new law contained many significant mandates for research institutions, including a requirement to provide “a physical environment adequate to promote the psychological well-being of primates.” Predictably, industry resisted, and a prolonged struggle to enact meaningful regulations
Whether animals have a sense of humor was the focus of a recent Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum (LAREF) discussion. Certainly the juveniles of many animal species exhibit play behavior. And anyone who has spent time around dogs can attest to the fact that a desire to have fun doesn’t necessarily end when an
For macaques and other primates in research laboratories, blood draws can be extremely stressful events. The anxiety and fear, however, may result not so much from any “phobia” involving the needle, but from the restraint often employed to enable the technician to perform the procedure. Depending on the nature of the study, the distress these
To keep their interest and encourage natural behaviors, animals in research facilities are often offered enrichment devices: objects to gnaw on, nesting materials that allow them to custom build their shelters, “food puzzles” to forage, and various toys to keep them occupied during the long hours cooped up in cages. For highly intelligent primates, mental