Animal Welfare Act 1999

Use of animals in research, testing, and teaching

80: Purposes

You could also call this:

"Why animals can be used in research and teaching, and how to treat them kindly"

When you use animals in research, testing, and teaching, there must be a good reason for it. You need to believe that the research or testing will help people, animals, or the environment. This can include understanding how humans, animals, or ecosystems work, or keeping people and animals healthy.

The research, testing, or teaching should not hurt the animals more than it helps them. If the research is on a special type of animal, like a non-human hominid, it can only be done if it is in the best interests of the animal or its species. You must make sure the animals' physical, health, and behavioural needs are met.

You should try to reduce the number of animals used in research, testing, and teaching. You should also try to make the research, testing, and teaching less painful for the animals. If possible, you should use alternatives to animals, like non-living things, to do the research or teaching.

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"Rules for animal care are treated like laws that can be changed or stopped"


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81: Effect of this Part, or

"What this part of the law means for using animals in research, testing, or teaching"

Part 6Use of animals in research, testing, and teaching

80Purposes

  1. The principal purpose of this Part is to ensure that the use of animals in research, testing, and teaching is confined to cases in which there is good reason to believe—

  2. that the findings of the research or testing or the results of the teaching will enhance—
    1. the understanding of human beings, animals, or ecosystems; or
      1. the maintenance or protection of human or animal health or welfare; or
        1. the management, protection, or control of ecosystems, plants, animals, or native fauna; or
          1. the production and productivity of animals; or
            1. the achievement of educational objectives; and
            2. that the benefits derived from the use of animals in research, testing, and teaching (whether the direct benefits of a project or the likely benefits of that project when combined with the findings of other related projects that have been undertaken in the past or that are currently being undertaken or are planned for the future) are not outweighed by the likely harm to the animals; and
              1. that, where the research, testing, or teaching involves the use of a non-human hominid, that research, testing, or teaching may be carried out only where either—
                1. it is in the best interests of the non-human hominid; or
                  1. it is in the interest of the species to which the non-human hominid belongs and the benefits to be derived from the use of the non-human hominid in the research, testing, or teaching (being benefits of the kind described in paragraph (b)) are not outweighed by the likely harm to the non-human hominid.
                  2. The other purposes of this Part are—

                  3. to ensure that,—
                    1. in relation to animals used in research, testing, and teaching, all reasonable steps are taken to ensure that the physical, health, and behavioural needs of those animals are met in accordance with both good practice and scientific knowledge; and
                      1. where animals used in research, testing, and teaching are ill or injured, they receive, where practicable, treatment that alleviates any unreasonable or unnecessary pain or distress:
                        1. where, because of the nature of the research, testing, or teaching, the needs referred to in subparagraph (i) cannot be fully met or the treatment referred to in subparagraph (ii) cannot be provided, any degree of pain or distress is reduced to the minimum possible in the circumstances:
                        2. to promote efforts—
                          1. to reduce the number of animals used in research, testing, and teaching to the minimum necessary:
                            1. to refine techniques used in any research, testing, and teaching so that the harm caused to the animals is minimised and the benefits are maximised:
                              1. to replace animals as subjects for research, and testing by substituting, where appropriate, non-sentient or non-living alternatives:
                                1. to replace the use of animals in teaching by substituting for animals, where appropriate, non-sentient or non-living alternatives or by imparting the information in another way.