Hello
My name is Vanesa, from Barcelone (Spain). I am biologist and I have been working in a research laboratory for 9 years.
During this time, I have had the opportunity to be in close contact with the work developed on different Animal Care Centers with a great variety of animal models from mice to monkey, including rat, dog, rabbit, etc., which made me realize the importance of laboratory animal care and welfare.
Personally, I am agree with the use of animals on scientific research, but not as it is understood 20 years ago, but as it is conceived at present.
In Spain, every scientific how wants to work with animals have to get an special accreditation from the University ( the FELASA accreditation board training and education in laboratory animal science). To get this accreditation, you have to carry out a 60 hours course were specialist on animal research talk about one main idea: animal welfare, developing the three Rs theory:
Replacement of experimental animals by alternatives.
Refinement of housing, handling and experimental procedures to reduce discomfort, pain, fear, stress and suffering.
Reduction of numbers of animals used.
Even if you are correctly authorized, you have to write every assay based on animal and wait for the OK of an special ethical committee in order to start the assay.
So I think (or I want to think) that for present science based on animal models, the animal welfare is the first, and the results the second.
Vane
