Reduction, Refinement and Replacement, the three R’s formulated by Russel and Burch should be followed to ensure welfare of laboratory animals without compromising their use in research, said Fr Muller’s Medical College Department of Pharmacology Head Dr Padmaja Udaykumar.
She was speaking after inaugurating the workshop on ‘Animal Welfare, Ethics and Experimentation-WAVE 2012’ organised by St Aloysius College in Mangalore on Friday.
"Animal welfare and ethics is a burning issue in Pharmacology. The use of animals for experimentation starts from undergraduate level. Millions of animals have sacrificed their lives for the sake of development,” she said.
“There is a need to think twice before experimenting on animals. With advancements in technology one can learn from videos. One should use animals only for original research and not for re-research,” she said.
Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) (Mysore) Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition Principal Scientist and Animal House In-charge Dr S P Muthukumar was the main resource person.
He gave an introduction on the Committee for the Purpose of Control and supervision of experiments of Animals (CPCSEA) and Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC) rules and regulation. He also spoke on '3 R's.
Ethics, Welfare and Management'.
"Laboratory animal science is concerned with both attitudes and knowledge. Never forget that a laboratory animal is a living being with the ability to feel pain and fear. Incorrect handling, inadequate anesthesia and techniques that torment the animal are ethically unacceptable,” stressed Muthukumar.
Presiding over the programme, St Aloysius College Principal Rev fr Swebert D'Silva SJ said that animals have life and any life has to be treated with respect.
Sessions on 'Health Monitoring of Laboratory Animals,' 'Nutrition and Feeding of Laboratory Animals,''Laboratory Animal Care during pre and post experimentation,''Animal Handling Techniques’ and ‘Animal Experimentation Techniques' were held.