October 1, 2008

report on a new way of measuring animal suffering

Speakers:
Prof Dominic Wells, Professor Gene Targeting Group, Imperial College London
David Smith, Chief Executive, Laboratory Animals Science Association (LASA)

Several years ago, in response to recommendations from a House of Lords Select Committee, the Home Office commissioned a group of scientists from academia and industry to pilot new ways of measuring the level of suffering felt by animals in the course of research. The aim was to explore whether there are ways of gathering this information which would provide more accurate information to the public about the real level of suffering. This week the key scientists involved in the pilot published their final report which makes recommendations that the Home Office should radically change the way that scientists report and publish their data on laboratory animal suffering.