Guide to reporting categories for NSW Animal Use in Research Statistics

Breeding projects to produce new teaching or research stock. Include the animals used to produce progeny and any breeders or progeny culled in the process, NOT the final progeny themselves (as these will be counted under the project in which they go on to be used).

Holding projects for animals maintained for use in other projects. These animals may be maintained under an Animal Research Authority because they require special management. If they are not held under an Authority, (e.g. normal stock animals kept mainly for commercial production, but occasionally used in research) then they are only counted in the project where they are used for teaching/research.

Examples

• Fistulated ruminants which are maintained under a holding project, for use in other short-term feeding trial projects
• Non-breeding colony of diabetic rats held for research in other projects

Projects carried out for the achievement of educational objectives. The purpose of the project is not to acquire new knowledge, rather to pass on established knowledge to others. This includes interactive or demonstration classes in methods of animal husbandry, management, examination and treatment.

Examples

• Animals used by veterinary schools to teach examination procedures such as pregnancy diagnosis
• Sheep used in shearing demonstration classes for students; Dogs used to teach animal care to TAFE students

Research projects which aim to increase the basic understanding of the structure, function and behaviour of animals, including humans, and processes involved in physiology, biochemistry and pathology.

Research projects which aim to produce improvements in the health and welfare of animals, including humans.

Research projects which aim to produce improvements in domestic or captive animal management or production.

Research projects which aim to increase the understanding of animals’ environments or their role in them. These include studies to determine population levels and diversity and may involve techniques such as observation, radio tracking or capture and release.

Examples

• Pre-logging or pre-development fauna surveys

Using animals to produce products other than milk, meat, eggs, leather, fur, etc.

Examples

• Use of a sheep flock to donate blood to produce microbiological media
• Production of commercial anti-serum
• Production of products, such as hormones or drugs, in milk or eggs from genetically modified animals
• Quality Assurance testing of drugs but do not include animals which come under Purpose A10, below.

Using animals directly as part of a diagnostic process.

Examples

• Inoculation of day old chicks with ND Virus to determine virulence
• Water supply testing using fish

Projects for the testing of products required by regulatory authorities, such as the APVMA. If the product testing is not a regulatory requirement, e.g. it is part of a quality assurance system only, those animals should be included in the appropriate category selected from above. (This is normally Purpose A8 (Production of biological products) in the case of QA testing).

Example

• Pre-registration efficacy or toxicity testing of drugs and vaccines

Animals are not interacted with or, where there is interaction, it would not be expected to compromise the animal's welfare any more than normal handling, feeding, etc. There is no pain or suffering involved.

Examples

• Observational study only
• Breeding animals for supply, where only normal husbandry procedures are used
• Breeding or reproductive study with no detriment to the animal
• Feeding trial, such as Digestible Energy determination of feed in a balanced diet
• Behavioural study with minor environmental manipulation
• Teaching of normal, non-invasive husbandry such as handling and grooming

Animal is rendered unconscious under controlled circumstances with little or no pain or distress. Capture methods are not required. Any pain is minor and brief and does not require analgesia. Procedures are carried out on the unconscious animal which is then killed without regaining consciousness.

Examples

• Laboratory animals killed painlessly for dissection, biochemical analysis, etc.
• Teaching surgical techniques on live, anaesthetised patients which are not allowed to recover following the procedure

Animal is subjected to minor procedures which do not normally require anaesthesia or analgesia. Any pain is minor and analgesia is usually unnecessary, although some distress may occur as a result of trapping or handling.

Examples

• Injections, blood sampling in conscious animal
• Minor dietary or environmental deprivation or manipulation, such as feeding nutrient- deficient diets for short periods
• Trapping and release as used in species impact studies
• Trapping and humane euthanasia for collection of specimens
• Stomach tubing, shearing

Animal is given appropriate regional or general anaesthesia with as little pain or distress as possible. A minor procedure such as cannulation or skin biopsy is carried out and the animal allowed to recover. Depending on the procedure, pain may be minor or moderate and postoperative analgesia may be appropriate. Field capture using chemical restraint methods is also included here.

Examples

• Biopsies
• Cannulations
• Sedation/anaesthesia for relocation, examination or injections/blood sampling
• Castration with regional or general anaesthesia and post-operative analgesia

Animal is rendered unconscious with as little pain or distress as possible. A major procedure such as abdominal or orthopaedic surgery is carried out and the animal allowed to recover. Postoperative pain is usually considerable and at a level requiring analgesia.

Examples

• Orthopaedic surgery
• Abdominal or thoracic surgery
• Transplant surgery

Animal remains conscious for some or all of the procedure. There is interference with the animal's physiological or psychological processes. The challenge may cause only a small degree of pain/distress or any pain/distress is quickly and effectively alleviated.

Examples

• Minor infection
• Minor or moderate phenotypic modification
• Early oncogenesis
• Arthritis studies with pain alleviation
• Induction of metabolic disease
• Prolonged deficient diets
• Polyclonal antibody production
• Antiserum production

Animal remains conscious for some or all of the procedure. There is interference with the animal's physiological or psychological processes. The challenge causes a moderate or large degree of pain/distress which is not quickly or effectively alleviated.

Examples

• Major infection
• Major phenotypic modification
• Oncogenesis without pain alleviation
• Arthritis studies with no pain alleviation
• Uncontrolled metabolic disease
• Isolation or environmental deprivation for extended periods
• Monoclonal antibody raising in mice
• Forced swim test
• Nose-only smoke exposure

This category only applies in those rare cases where the death of the animal is a planned part of the procedures and animals die but are not euthanased. Where predictive signs of death have been determined and euthanasia is carried out before significant suffering occurs, they may be placed in category P6 or P7.

Examples

• Lethality testing (including LD50, LC50)

It does not include: death by natural causes; animals which are euthanased as part of the project; animals which are euthanased if something goes wrong; animals euthanased for dissection or for use as museum specimens; or accidental deaths.

This category is intended to allow for the variety of procedures which occur during the production of genetically modified animals. As animals in this category may be subjected to both minor and major physiological challenges and surgical procedures, this category reflects the varied nature of the procedures carried out. It effectively includes ALL animals used in GM production other than the final progeny which are used in a different procedure category.

Examples

• Initial breeding animals for GM production
• Animals culled as part of the GM production process

This is where the project is ongoing and the animal will remain in the project in the next reporting year.

This is where the animal is kept by the establishment / individual for use in other research projects or supplied to another establishment / individual for use in research.

This is where the animal is kept by the establishment / individual in retirement with no further plans for use in research.

This is where the animal is privately owned and remains with the owner.

Examples:

• Animal presented to veterinary clinic for treatment and participates in clinical trial
• Behavioural study with privately owned companion animals

This is where the animal is rehomed as a companion animal to a private (non- research) home or to a rehoming organisation with the consent of the rehoming organisation.

This is where the animal is required to be euthanased as an integral part of the research project, or is euthanased or dies during the project as a consequence of the project procedures.

This is where the animal is euthanased or dies during the project for reasons unrelated to the project.

Example:

• Animal in long-term food palatability trial euthanased due to unmanageable osteoarthritis

This is where the animal is no longer required for research and is euthanased on the basis of an assessment that the animal is unsuitable for rehoming. Reasons the animal is unsuitable for rehoming may include physical, behavioural and biosecurity factors.

Examples:

• Animals with unmanageable health conditions causing discomfort or distress
• Animals that have problem behaviours that are unable to be addressed through rehabilitation
• Animals that could pose a biosecurity risk to other animals, people or the environment
• Animals that are genetically modified

This is where the animal is no longer required for research and is assessed as suitable for rehoming, but is euthanased because a suitable home is unable to be found.

This is where the animal is free living and remains in the wild (including where the animal is captured and released) or where the animal is released to the wild.

Examples:

• Wildlife fauna surveys
• Native animal captive breeding and monitored release programs