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Posted: 23rd October 2015

Figures on lab animal suffering released
lab mouse
Severe procedures are defined as causing a major departure from the animal's usual state of health and well-being.
Over 180,000 experiments classified as 'severe'

For the first time, the Home Office has released figures on the level of suffering experienced by animals used in scientific procedures.

Last year, 3.87 million procedures were completed - half of which were experimental procedures, while the remainder related to the creation/breeding of genetically altered animals.

Based on severity assessments of these procedures, 184,000 experiments were classified as severe.

Severe procedures are defined as causing a major departure from the animal's usual state of health and well-being. This would usually include long-term disease processes, where assistance with activities such as eating and drinking is required - or where there are significant and persistent deficits in behaviours or activities.

Suffering was measured in five different categories - sub-threshold, non-recovery, mild, moderate and severe.

The figures also show a 6 per cent decline in the total number of experiments. Comparisons with figures from 2013 must be approached with caution, however, as the method of collecting data has changed.

Following a new EU directive, information is collected on procedures that have been completed, rather than procedures that have started.

For more information, see: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-living-animals-great-britain-2014



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