Ten Top Tips for Animal Ethics Application Success - Melbourne ...

8
10. Making the
endpoint clear
The fate of all animals must be clear and
rationalised within the application, with
a specific, measurable and scientifically
validated experimental endpoint. If
animals are to be killed, the timepoints
and methodology for doing
so should accord with best practice,
and be unambiguous and reconciled
throughout the application. If there is
any doubt about these issues the Animal
Welfare Officer should be consulted.
Where appropriate the monitoring
checklist needs to include signs/criteria
for euthanasia before the end-point,
dictated by indicators of ill-health, pain
and distress.
High expected mortality rates will
be questioned by AECs, as death
by natural causes rarely occurs
without suffering. Unless specific
Ministerial permission has been gained,
researchers must always avoid “death
as an end-point” methodology, where
death is the deliberate measure for
evaluation and where the researcher will
not intervene to kill the animal humanely.
References
1 National Health and Medical Research
Council. Australian code of practice
for the care and use of animals
for scientific purposes (7th Ed.).
Canberra: NHMRC, 2004.
2 Australian and New Zealand Council
for the Care of Animals in Research
and Teaching. Practical Guidelines for
Aseptic Surgery in Rodents and the
Management of Surgical Facilities in
a Laboratory. Adelaide: ANZCCART,
2006.
3 Department of Primary Industries.
Code of Practice for the Housing and
Care of Laboratory Mice, Rats, Guinea
Pigs and Rabbits. Attwood: DPI, 2004.