Ethics And Welfare

Question 1

What is the spectrum of opinion on the use of animals in science?

Answer 1

Animal right extremists 
Animal rights 
Animal welfare scientists 
Welfare minded scientists 
Science: animals are just tools 
Research extremists

Question 2

What is the moral position of absolute dominion?

Answer 2

Where all animal experiments are justified

Question 3

What were Rene Descartes opinions on the use of animals?

Answer 3

That animals did not think and had “no capacity for reasoning, therefore no perception of pain or suffering”

Question 4

What is speciesism?

Answer 4

Assigning different values or rights to beings on the basis of their biological species, rather than according to the characteristics they posses

Question 5

What is the validity and necessity of using animals in research from absolute dominion point of view?

Answer 5

Animals make good models for humans
Fundamental part of medical research- legal requirement for drugs to be tested on animals
Currently alternatives to animal based research are insufficient
Whole organisms required to model complex organisation and processes that we see inside us

Question 6

What can go wrong when testing new drugs on animals for human use?

Answer 6

Some side effects may not be picked up in animal studies

The wrong animal could be used

Question 7

What is the other end of the spectrum to absolute dominion?

Answer 7

Abolition

Question 8

What is the validity and necessity of not using animals in research from an abolition point of view?

Answer 8

Animal use is unnecessary
Medical advances have been achieved by human based research
We can use existing knowledge
Viable alternatives are available
Money better spent on prevention not cure

Question 9

What are some examples of when animal experiments can be misleading?

Answer 9

Some medicines damaging to animal health but not humans e.g penicillin lethal to guinea pigs, paracetamol lethal to cats

Some can damage human health but not animals e.g. thalidomide

Question 10

What is the middle moral position on the use of animals in research?

Answer 10

‘Troubled’ middle ground

Almost all animal use worldwide works on this position

Question 11

What are the 3 Rs?

Answer 11

Reduction, replacement and refinement

Question 12

What is reduction?

Answer 12

Reduction of the number of animals to an absolute minimum without compromising precision or value

Question 13

What is replacement?

Answer 13

Replacement of sentient animals with non-living on non-animal alternatives e.g plants, chemical methods, modelling

Question 14

What is refinement?

Answer 14

Refinement of procedures by decreasing incidence and severity of pain/distress caused by improving welfare

Question 15

What percentage of research uses animals?

Answer 15

10%

Question 16

What does the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 apply to?

Answer 16

Any experimental or other scientific procedure applied to a protected animal which may have the effect of causing that animal pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm

Question 17

What does protected species cover?

Answer 17

Living vertebrates and cephalopods

Fetal, larval and embryonic forms are included

Question 18

What are the controls in the animal scientific procedure act?

Answer 18

Purpose of research: project licence
People conducting research: personal licence
Places that research is conducted: certificate of designation

Question 19

A procedure is regulated if it causes what?

Answer 19

Death, disease and injury
Physiological and psychological stress
Discomfort and disturbance to normal health
Breeding of animals with harmful genetic defects
Administration of anaesthetics to achieve scientific purpose

Question 20

When is a personal licence required?

Answer 20

Required by an individual to carry out regulated procedures on protected species in a specific place

Question 21

What does a project licence do?

Answer 21

Specifies the programme of work for an allowable purpose under control of an individual

Project licence holder has overall responsibility

Question 22

What does the cost benefit analysis look at?

Answer 22

Whether the benefit to humans outweighs the cost to the animal

Question 23

What does the certificate designation require?

Answer 23

Named people to be in place

Ensures minimum standards are maintained

Question 24

What are some of the named people required in the certificate of designation?

Answer 24

Certificate holder 
Named veterinary surgeon 
Named animal care and welfare officer 
Information officer 
Training and competency officer 
Compliance officer 
Home office liaison contact

Question 25

Who is the certificate holder?

Answer 25

The person weigh overall responsibility for compliance with ASPA

Question 26

What does the information officer do?

Answer 26

Ensures PILs and PPLs have access to current information

Question 27

What does the training and competency officer do?

Answer 27

Ensures personal licences are properly trained and supervised, are competent and that this is recorded

Question 28

Who administers the Act?

Answer 28

The home office

Question 29

What does the animal welfare ethics review body do? (AWERB)

Answer 29

Reviews all project applications before submitting them to the home office

Question 30

What is schedule 1 under the Animal Scientific Procedures Act?

Answer 30

Deals with humane methods of killing animals

Person carrying it out must be registered and competent

Question 31

What is schedule 2 under the ASPA?

Answer 31

Deals with supply of laboratory animals