Policy on working with animals

This document has been approved by the BioResources Committee at its meeting on the 12th December 2000

Trinity college is fully committed to the :-
“International Guiding Principles for Biomedical Research involving Animals.”

Explanatory Statement

In a University where Zoology, Physiology, Biochemistry and Medicine have a high profile, animals are central to research and teaching. Until satisfactory alternatives have been developed, the processes of discovery, enquiry and teaching; require techniques involving animals in order to gain a knowledge and understanding of structural and physiological processes, in order to pass on knowledge to the students.

Scientists at Trinity College Dublin, in common with many other researchers, are constantly seeking ways to reduce the number of animals needed for their studies and teaching, indeed they have been instrumental in devising a number of such alternative methods. However, ‘alternative’ tests and models have yet to be developed that can properly reproduce that biological characteristics of humans and animals, and studies of wild animals in their natural environment will always require the involvement of the animals themselves.

All research and teaching activities involving animals, in the EU are governed by EC Directive 86/609 which is enacted in Irish law by statutory Instrument 566/02.
Compliance is monitored by university staff, including the director of the BioResources Unit who is the University Veterinary Officer, and by the Department of Health Inspectors. All university persons carrying out regulated procedures must by law have prior training, relevant experience, and a license to work on animals by the Department of Health.

In any work involving animals, the policy of Trinity College Dublin is to adhere to high standards of human care and treatment of those animals. The university has designed and build facilities, and set up work programmes to meet these requirements and to comply with relevant laws and guidelines. The over-riding considerations are that:-

Animal studies are conducted; only when they will contribute to the advancement of knowledge; that is likely to lead to improvement of the health and welfare of animals, and human beings, or provide a better understanding of the animals themselves.
The University conducts studies involving animals in the revising of well-defined scientific objectives, giving due consideration to the welfare of the animals, minimising the number of animals employed in each test, and avoiding unnecessary duplication.

The University supports the development, validation and adoption of appropriate alternatives to the use of animals in order to eliminate the need for animals in both research and teaching. In vitro studies are used as substitutes for whole-animal studies whenever such tests are feasible, and cadavers and audio-visual technology are used in teaching.

All animals obtained by the University are subject to inspection and approval by the University Veterinary Officer. By law all laboratory animals obtained for research; are purpose bred at establishments; licensed by necessary E. U. authorities. Studies on farm and wild animals and those not classed “laboratory” animals are subject to stringent wildlife and agriculture laws and the University veterinary Officer monitors all such studies to ensure compliance.

Members of the veterinary profession are available at all times for consultation, care and attendance.

Trinity College is committed to the responsible use of animals in its research and teaching activities. All University personnel who supervise or undertake activities involving animals are trained to carry out their duties in a responsible and humane manner, both initially and as part of a continuous process to maintain their expertise.

APPENDIX 1 Back

Trinity College is fully committed to the:-

‘ International Guiding Principles for Biomedical Research Involving Animals.’

Biomedical research involving animals proposed international guiding principles

proceedings of the XVIIth CIOMS Round Table Conference, Geneva, Switzerland, 8-9 December, 1983 edited by Z. Bankowski and N. Howard-Jones, CIOMS Round Table Conference 17th 1983 Geneva, Switzerland.

The advancement of biological knowledge and the development of improved means for the protection of the health and well-being both of man and of animals require recourse to experimentation on intact live animals of a wide variety of species.
Methods such as mathematical models, computer simulation and in vitro biological systems should be used wherever appropriate.
Animal experiments should be undertaken only after due consideration of their relevance for human or animal health and the advancement of biological knowledge.
The animals selected for an experiment should be of an appropriate species and quality, and the minimum number required, to obtain scientifically valid results.
Investigators and other personnel should never fail to treat animals as sentient, and should regard their proper care and use and the avoidance or minimisation of discomfort, distress, or pain as ethical imperatives.
Investigators should assume that procedures that would cause pain in human beings cause pain in other vertebrate species although more needs to be known about the perception of pain in animals.
Procedures with animals that may cause more than momentary or minimal pain or distress should be performed with appropriate sedation, analgesia or anaesthesia in accordance with accepted veterinary practice. Surgical or other painful procedures should not be performed on unanaesthetised animals paralysed by chemical agents.
Where waivers are required in relation to the provisions of article VII, the decisions should not rest solely with the investigators directly concerned but should be made, with due regard to the provisions of articles IV, V and VI, by a suitably constituted review body. Such waivers should not be made solely for the purpose of teaching or demonstration.
At the end of, or when appropriate during an experiment, animals that would otherwise suffer severe or chronic pain, distress, discomfort, or disablement that cannot be relieved should be painlessly killed.
the best possible living conditions should be maintained for animals kept for biomedical purposes. Normally the care of animals should be under the supervision of veterinarians having experience in laboratory animal science. In any case, veterinary care should be available as required.
It is the responsibility of the director of an institute or department using animals to ensure that investigators and personnel have appropriate qualifications or experience for conducting procedures on animals . Adequate opportunities shall be provided for in-service training, including the proper and humane concern for the animals under their care.
In addition the college is committed to implement the principles of Reduction Refinement and Replacement in its work involving animals. It will actively encourage researchers to use alternate methods of biological research involving procedures which can completely replace the need for animals experiments reduce the number of animals required, or diminish the amount of pain or distress suffered by animals in meeting the essential needs of man and animals.