Canadian Council on Animal Care
Conseil canadien de protection des animaux

Ethics of Animal Investigation
The use of animals in research, teaching, andtesting is acceptable only if it promises tocontribute to understanding of fundamental
biological principles, or to the developmentof knowledge that can reasonably be expected to benefit humans or animals.
Animals should be used only if theresearcher's best efforts to find an alternative
have failed. A continuing sharing of knowledge, review of the literature, and adherence
to the Russell-Burch "3R" tenet of "Replacement, Reduction and Refinement" are also
requisites. Those using animals should
employ the most humane methods on thesmallest number of appropriate animals
required to obtain valid information.
The following principles incorporate suggestions from members of both the scientific andanimal welfare communities, as well as theorganizations represented on Council. They
should be applied in conjunction with theCanadian Council on Animal Care's (CCAC)
Guide to the Care and Use of Experimental
Animals:

2. Animals must not be subjected to unnecessary pain or distress. The experimental
design must offer them every practicablesafeguard, whether in research, in teachingor in testing procedures; cost and conve-

3. Expert opinion must attest to the potential
value of studies with animals. The following procedures, which are restricted,
require independent, external evaluation
to justify their use:i) burns, freezing injuries, fractures, andother types of trauma investigation inanesthetized animals, concomitant towhich must be acceptable veterinary
practices for the relief of pain, including adequate analgesia during therecovery period;ii) staged encounters between predator
and prey or between conspecifics
where prolonged fighting and injury
are probable.
4. If pain or distress is a necessary concomitant to the study, it must be minimized
both in intensity and duration. Investigators, animal care committees, grant review
committees and referees must be especially cautious in evaluating the proposed useof the following procedures:a) experiments involving withholding
pre and post-operative pain-relieving
medication;b) paralyzing and immobilizing experiments where there is no reduction in
the sensation of pain;c) electric shock as negative reinforcement;

CCAC policy statement

1. If animals must be used, they should bemaintained in a manner that provides fortheir physical comfort and psychologicalwell-being, according to CCAC's policy
statement on: social and behavioral requirements of experimental animals.

nience must not take precedence over theanimal's physical and mental well-being.

2d) extreme environmental conditions suchas low or high temperatures, highhumidity, modified atmospheres, etc.,
or sudden changes therein;e) experiments studying stress and pain;f) experiments requiring withholding offood and water for periods incompatible with the species specific physiological needs; such experiments shouldhave no detrimental effect on thehealth of the animal;g) injection of Freund's Complete
Adjuvant. This must be carried out inaccordance with CCAC guidelines on:
acceptable immunological procedures.
5. An animal observed to be experiencing
severe, unrelievable pain or discomfort
should immediately be humanely killed,using a method providing initial rapid
unconsciousness.
6. While non-recovery procedures involvinganesthetized animals, and studies involving no pain or distress are considered
acceptable, the following experimental
procedures inflict excessive pain and arethus unacceptable:a) utilization of muscle relaxants or paralytics (curare and curare-like) alone,
without anesthetics, during surgicalprocedures;b) traumatizing procedures involving
crushing, burning, striking or beatingin unanesthetized animals.
7. Studies such as toxicological and biological testing, cancer research and infectious

disease investigation may, in the past,
have required continuation until the deathof the animal. However, in the face of distinct signs that such processes are causing
irreversible pain or distress, alternative
endpoints should be sought to satisfy both
the requirements of the study and theneeds of the animal.
8. Physical restraint should only be used
after alternative procedures have been
fully considered and found inadequate.
Animals so restrained must receive exceptional care and attention, in compliancewith species specific and general requirements as set forth in the Guide.
9. Painful experiments or multiple invasive
procedures on an individual animal, conducted solely for the instruction of students
in the classroom, or for the demonstrationof established scientific knowledge, cannot
be justified. Audio-visual or other alternative techniques should be employed to convey such information.
revised October 1989

For more information on these and otherpolicies contact:
Canadian Council on Animal Care
1510-130 Albert Street
Ottawa ON Canada K1P 5G4
Tel.: (613) 238-4031 Fax: (613) 238-2837
E-mail: ccac@ccac.ca
Website: http://www.ccac.ca