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IAT Journal Animal Technology and Welfare Aquatic special How to be an AWERB champion Training for dogs and handlers for assistance activities in the Czech Republic Emotional burnout Congress 2017 Posters Part 2 Official Journal of the Institute of Animal Technology and European Federation of Animal Technologists ISSN 1742 0385 Vol 16 No 3 December 2017
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 45 Page i CONTENTS Vol 16 No 3 December 2017 Editorial Jas Barley Chair of the Editorial Board ix Do Buccal swabs from Zebrafish give enough of a sample of DNA to be used as a viable non invasive method of genotyping Sarah Lawton 155 How to be an AWERB champion report of a workshop at IAT Congress 2017 Penny Hawkins Tania Boden Jolene Hammonds and Maggy Jennings 165 The current situation in testing of dogs and handlers for animal assisted activities and therapies in the Czech Republic and potential changes in the field Kristyna Machov Vaclav Bittner and Ivona Svobodov 171 PAPER SUMMARY TRANSLATIONS 179 TECH 2 TECH The curious tale of Axolotl enrichment Emma Billingham 191 Occupational burnout a discussion by the Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum Amanda Carlson Jacqueline Schwartz Kaile Bennett Kristina Carter Meagan McCallum and Viktor Reinhardt 195 AS ET SPECIAL BURSARY COMPETITION ESSAYS Are the special considerations afforded to cats dogs primates and equidae under the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 as amended ethically scientifically or legally justified Karen Dunford 197 Are the special considerations afforded to cats dogs primates and equidae under the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 as amended ethically scientifically or legally justified Louis Kitchenham 200 Are the special considerations afforded to cats dogs primates and equidae under the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 as amended ethically scientifically or legally justified Emma Filby 203 CONGRESS 2017 ABSTRACTS 207 POSTER PRESENTATIONS DNA sampling by skin swabbing for Zebrafish Danio rerio and sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus Carl Breacker and Ceinwen Tilley 211 Increasing survival rates in the Zebrafish Zebra danio at the University of Manchester David Mortell and Sophie Moores 214 Rise of the rotifers Brine Shrimp who needs them A complete shift away from Brine Shrimp to rotifers as live diet for Zebrafish Dimitra Mantzorou Thom Berriman Sanjay Jani Ryan Clarke and Bruno Correia da Silva 216 Containment Level 2 Aquatics Facility development at the Sanger Institute Nicola Goodwin and Lynda Westall 219 The emotional impact on Animal Technologists working with animals Tracy Benford 223 Creatively meeting the standards taking rabbit housing to the next level Katherine Marshall Haley Wolford and Lauren Martin 226 Combined screening strategy to reduce the numbers of sentinel animals used whilst maintaining confidence in results Andrew Dickinson 229 Instructions to Authors 232 Index to Advertisers xvi i
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page ii IAT REPRESENTATIVES OFFICERS President Dr Robin Lovell Badge FRS Immediate Past President Professor Sir Richard Gardner MA PhD FRSB FIAT Hon FRS Vice Presidents David Anderson MRCVS Stephen Barnett BA MSc FIAT Hon CBiol FRSB RAnTech Brian Cass CBE Miles Carroll PhD Gerald Clough BSc PhD EurBiol CBiol MRSB SFZSL Paul Flecknell MA Vet MB PhD DLAS DipLECVA MRCVS FIAT Hon Sue Houlton BVSc MA DVR DVC MRCVS Wendy Jarrett MA Judy MacArthur Clark CBE BVMS DLAS FRSB DVMS h c DipECLAM FRAgS DipACLAM MRCVS Fiona McEwen BSc BVM S MSc MRCVS Tim Morris BVetMed PhD DipACLAM DipECLAM CBiol FRSB CertLAS MRCVS Jos Orellana BVSc MSc Clive Page PhD BSc Vicky Robinson CBE BSc PhD Gail Thompson RLATG Robert Weichbrod PhD RLATG Life Members Charlie Chambers MIAT RAnTech Roger Francis MSC FIAT RAnTech Pete Gerson MSc FIAT RAnTech Cathy Godfrey FIAT RAnTech John Gregory BSc Hons FIAT CBiol FRSB RAnTech Patrick Hayes FIAT DipBA RAnTech Robert Kemp FIAT Hon RAnTech Phil Ruddock MIAT RAnTech Ted Wills HonFIAT RAnTech Dorothy Woodnott FIAT Honorary Members Andy Jackson MIAT Brian Lowe MSc FIAT RAnTech Sue McHugh BSc FIAT Terry Priest MBE FIAT RAnTech Trevor Richards BEM MIAT David Spillane FIAT Pete Willan DMS FInstLM MIAT Members of Council Ken Applebee OBE Matthew Bilton Kally Booth Charlie Chambers Steven Cubitt Simon Cumming Andy Cunningham Haley Daniels Glyn Fisher Nicky Gent Cathy Godfrey Alan Graham Linda Horan Sam Jameson Elaine Kirkum Adele Kitching Theresa Langford Steve Owen Wendy Steel Allan Thornhill Lynda Westall Carole Wilson Adrian Woodhouse Council Officers Chair Ken Applebee OBE FIAT CBiol FRSB RAnTech Vice Chair Linda Horan BSc Hons MIAT RAnTech Honorary Secretary Linda Horan BSc Hons MIAT RAnTech Honorary Treasurer Charlie Chambers MIAT RAnTech Assistant Treasurer Glyn Fisher FIAT RAnTech Chair Board of Educational Policy Glyn Fisher FIAT RAnTech Chair Board of Moderators Haley Daniels MBA MSc MIAT RAnTech CIPD Chair Registration Accreditation Board Vacant TBC ATW Editor Jas Barley MSc FIAT RAnTech Bulletin Editor Carole Wilson BSc MIAT Branch Liaison Officer Lynda Westall BSc Hons FIAT DMS RAnTech EFAT Representative Charlie Chambers MIAT RAnTech Website Coordinator Allan Thornhill FIAT RAnTech Animal Welfare Officers and LABA Representatives Andy Cunningham Matthew Bilton Kally Booth Simon Cumming Nicky Gent ATW Bulletin Editorial Board Jas Barley Chair Matthew Bilton Nicky Gent Patrick Hayes Elaine Kirkum Carole Wilson Lynda Westall Board of Educational Policy Glyn Fisher Chair Steven Cubitt Secretary Adele Kitching Board of Moderators Haley Daniels Chair Cathy Godfrey Moderators Anthony Iglesias Theresa Langford Jenny Parks Sarah Reed Communications Group Adrian Woodhouse Chair Elaine Kirkum Teresa Langford Allan Thornhill Lynda Westall CPD Officer Charlie Chambers Registration and Accreditation Board Chair Vacant Ken Applebee Charlie Chambers John Gregory Cathy Godfrey Gerald Clough Stuart Stevenson Carol Williams Observers Charles Gentry Certificate Holders Forum Adrian Deeny LASA Ian Mason Home Office Ngaire Dennison LAVA Congress Committee Alan Graham Chair Haley Daniels Linda Horan Adele Kitching Allan Thornhill Diversity Officer Haley Daniels MBA MSc MIAT RAnTech CIPD UK Biosciences ASG Representative Home Office Steve Owen Charlie Chambers Andy Cunningham IAT OFFICERS MAY BE CONTACTED VIA IAT Administrator admin iat org uk OR VIA THE IAT WEBSITE AT www iat org uk OR VIA THE REGISTERED OFFICE 5 South Parade Summertown Oxford OX2 7JL Advertisement Managers PRC Associates Ltd Email mail prcassoc co uk Although every effort is made to ensure that no inaccurate or misleading data opinion or statement appear in the journal the Institute of Animal Technology wish to expound that the data and opinions appearing in the articles poster presentations and advertisements in ATW are the responsibility of the contributor and advertiser concerned Accordingly the IAT Editor and their agents accept no liability whatsoever for the consequences of any such inaccurate or misleading data opinion statement or advertisement being published Furthermore the opinions expressed in the journal do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or the Institute of Animal Technology 2017 Institute of Animal Technology All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission from the publisher BRANCH SECRETARIES 2017 Cambridge Edinburgh Hertfordshire Essex Huntingdon Suffolk Norfolk Ireland London Midlands North East England North West Oxford Surrey Hampshire Sussex West Middlesex West of Scotland ii Ms Fran Flack Ms Janice Young Ms Joanna Cruden Ms Jo Martin Ms Silke Kleefeld Ms Rebecca Towns Mr Ian Fielding Ms Rachel Sandy and Ms Joanne Bland Ms Nicky Windows Ms April Shipton Ms Francesca Whitmore Ms Wendy Steel Ms Linda Horan cambridgebranch iat org uk edinburghbranch iat org uk hertsessexbranch iat org uk hssbranch iat org uk irelandbranch iat org uk londonbranch iat org uk midlandsbranch iat org uk northeastbranch iat org uk cheshirebranch iat org uk oxfordbranch iat org uk shsbranch iat org uk westmiddxbranch iat org uk westscotlandbranch iat org uk
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page iii
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page iv
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Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page vii
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page viii
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page ix December 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare THE INSTITUTE OF ANIMAL TECHNOLOGY ETHICAL STATEMENT Our purpose is to advance knowledge and promote excellence in the care and welfare of animals in science and to enhance the standards and status of those professionally engaged in the care welfare and use of animals in science Editorial Jas Barley Chair of the Editorial Board As I write this it is the start of a new academic year and I ve just come back from a lovely day in London at the IAT Graduation ceremony It is such a delight to see the students and their families revelling in their success and it s as much the family s success as it is the student It is fairly apparent that all concerned feel that all those missed family occasions because Mum Dad daughter or son had got an assignment to hand it or was away on block release were worth it It s very difficult not to reflect on how things have changed since the inception of the first Association of Animal Technicians over 60 years ago which was later to become the Institute of Animal Technology both in the science of animal technology and the education of Animal Technologists These changes have been reflected in both the IAT Journal in content and name and other IAT publications A lot of the species that we used are now distant memories well at least for those of us in the UK after all how many of us remember working with gerbils and pigeons let alone the dreaded Cotton Rat even the use of standard laboratory rats Guinea Pigs and rabbits has diminished Who would have thought that genetic manipulation would become commonplace not only in mice and other rodents but in also in fish In fact in those days fish were unusual in the laboratory other than the tank full of guppies in the staff tea room This issue has unexpectedly taken a watery theme and you will see that this issue contains papers Tech 2 Tech articles and posters all devoted to aquatic species Sarah Lawton kicks proceedings off with an important paper on an alternative method of collecting DNA from Zebrafish which does not require a surgical procedure Carl Breacker and Ceinwen Tilley poster concerning skin swabbing to collect fish DNA is another example of Animal Technologists working to refine techniques to benefit the animals in their care Having said about the demise of unusual species one that has survived in the laboratory is the Axolotol and Emma Billingham s article discusses the use of environmental enrichment for them The report from Penny Hawkins and Tania Boden of a Congress workshop shows how Animal Technologists can take a fuller role on the Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body AWERB of their establishment it s hard to believe that some institutions don t fully utilise the vast wealth of knowledge that their technical staff possess The final paper this time from the Czech Republic discusses the training of both staff and dogs used in assistance activities This is a change from our usual topics but concerns animal welfare and education and nobody has said that we can t stretch our remit a little There is no doubt that many people with varied disabilities ranging from hearing impairment to severe mobility issues benefit from dogs helping them with everyday tasks and for the elderly who can no longer live at home a visit from a petting dog brightens their day and reminds them of animal companions of the past However what about the dogs Is sufficient care being taken of them and are their sufficient controls to prevent harm to either the animals or humans concerned It would be interesting to know what regulations if any are in force nearer to home Other offerings include posters from David Mortell and Sophie Moores on increasing survival Increasing survival rates in the Zebrafish On a similar theme Dimitra Mantzorou and her colleagues at King s College London show how the use of Rotifers instead of Brine Shrimp can improve Zebrafish survival growth and breeding health Our final fish themed poster is from Nicola Goodwin and Lynda Westall of the Sanger Institute on the establishment of a Containment Level 2 Aquatic Facility For those of you whose working day doesn t include fish or other aquatics there are articles and posters considering the emotional stress caused to Animal Technologists due to working with laboratory animals Rabbits are featured in a poster from the AAALAC International Fellowship Award 2017 USA Recipient Kati Marshall and her colleagues on the development of improved housing From the content of this issue its apparent that one thing that hasn t changed over the years is the ability of Animal Technologists to rise to the challenge of improving the welfare of the animals in the care and that ATW will continue to disseminate knowledge gained to the rest of our community both at home and around the world ix
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Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 155 December 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare Do Buccal swabs from Zebrafish give enough of a sample of DNA to be used as a viable non invasive method of genotyping SARAH LAWTON BSF University of Manchester Oxford Road Manchester M13 9PL Correspondence sarah lawton manchester ac uk Introduction The Zebrafish has become a valuable research model within the laboratory Due to the increase in numbers used transgenic Zebrafish genotyping of the fish has become an everyday necessity to facilitate their use in order to identify the fish with the correct or necessary genes and to create genetically altered lines of breeding fish At the University of Manchester genotyping of the fish is usually per formed at 6 months of age By this time the fish are classed as adults in size and are ready for breeding Currently the proven method of genotyping involves taking a tail fin clip from the fish to gain the sample This involves surgically removing a piece of the tail fin under anaesthetic which gives a large enough sample to be taken from the fish in order to gain adequate DNA to allow for analysis to take place and to gain accurate results 1 In previous studies buccal swabs have been taken from different species such as humans mammals and larger species of fish This involves taking a swab from the inside of the mouth gathering cells which are used to extract the DNA One study found it was successful using this method in wild caught sunfish 2 The buccal swab samples were taken on site where they were caught 20 samples in total were taken and all gave a positive result Although this species of fish is much larger than a laboratory Zebrafish making sample taking easier it does give evidence that buccal swabs can be used from fish species for DNA analysis Another study shows that they were successful in DNA sampling by taking swabs from Zebrafish body mucus 3 This shows that alternative methods are viable and should be considered An advantage of using buccal swabs compared with body mucus is the risk of contamination of the sample is lower Due to the high density of communal housing individuals are able to rub against each other causing cells to slough off which can lead to inaccurate results This project was conducted following the principles of the 3Rs Reduction Refinement and Replacement Due to a method of genotyping Zebrafish being in place which is widely used and reliable any other proposed method will need to be an improvement The main benefit of this study will be that the welfare of the fish will be potentially improved as a piece of tail fin will not have to be surgically removed This is an acceptable procedure necessary to gain DNA results and has been judged using the harm cost benefit analysis In the case of the Zebrafish the tail fin does grow back within two weeks after removal Although an acceptable procedure the removal of part of the tail fin may cause the fish pain and may have an impact on its welfare 4 Zebrafish are communal animals but they can also be very territorial especially the males when living with females in low densities or when stressed 5 Any fish that has damage to its fins may be seen as being weak and this can cause them to be bullied by others usually resulting in death It may also restrict the movement of the fish and its ability to swim or behave normally although these may be minimal These factors can cause great potential problems when working with genetically altered animals as losing or not being able to use the fish with the required genes can be costly in terms of money and time Taking a sample using buccal swabs allows the fish to have full normal functions of the fin and therefore incur no stress associated with the removal of part of the fin When the fish are placed back into communal living none of the associated problems caused by fin damage should take place 155
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 156 Do Buccal swabs from Zebrafish give enough of a sample of DNA to be used as a viable non invasive method of genotyping There is also the potential for the buccal swabs to cause damage to the mouth area This may cause the fish to be unable to feed properly and unable to thrive Method All the Zebrafish I used in this project were wild type Danio rerio WT ex breeders which were going to be euthanised immediately before the sample taking Determining how many rotations of the swab around the mouth of the fish in order to gather enough cells to provide a viable sample was also necessary This was done by counting the rotations the swab made within the mouth in a series of 0 10 rotations The 0 rotations involves putting the swab inside of the mouth and removing the swab again I then added rotations to each sample set 10 being the highest Buccal swab samples are taken from the inside of the mouth This in itself may be difficult as the overall size of an adult Zebrafish is approximately 6cm 6 A small enough swab is needed which is able to fit inside the mouth and allow for movement so the inside of the mouth can be gently scrapped to gather the cells the instructions then place into the autoclave on a 121 cycle for 18 minutes Once finished remove the swabs and store in a safe place until needed where they will not be damaged or the seals broken If this happens repeat the steps above Only open these bags when needed SOP Setting up the equipment The equipment used for this procedure needs to be as clean as possible All areas will need to be disinfected before and after use using Anistel Phoenix Surface Disinfectant When taking the samples every measure should be taken to avoid contaminating the samples by wearing clean scrubs tying back hair wearing a hair net and wearing gloves not latex gloves as the latex can damage the scales Polyco GL890 Blue Nitrile Medical Examination Gloves The area used should be big enough to allow movement and be divided into a dirty area middle area and a clean area to help to avoid contamination Dirty area Both male and female fish in equal numbers were used Each sample set had a total of 10 fish 5 males and 5 females When testing the DNA for analysis a control is needed As the WT Zebrafish has a full genome The control gene is IPIP27_A Each of the samples were timed starting from when the fish was removed from the euthanasia tank to the swab being placed into the epindorph tube for sampling This was to show how long each sample will take to do All fish were checked for any signs of physical damage to the mouth area and any signs of damage were reported Pictures of both non damaged fish and damaged fish were also taken so that this could be investigated later Standard Operating Procedure SOP Preparation of swabs It is important to have all equipment to hand and ready for use before the sample taking is begun It must be as clean as possible in order to avoid contamination The swabs are purchased and are unsterile and therefore must be autoclaved before use Procedure Separate the swabs into the numbers required 10 swabs then place them into autoclavable bags SELFSEAL Sterilisation Pouch Seal the bags according to 156 This is where the fish will be held before sample taking Tricaine Methanesulfonate MS222 soluble anaesthetic is used and the tank containing it is also placed here for euthanasia of the fish You will need a table for placing the holding tanks of fish on MS222 tank with solution ready for use and the designated MS222 fish net Middle area This area will be where the fish are dabbed to remove excess water and MS222 after euthanasia Use some paper towel folded a few times to soak up excess MS222 solution Clean area This area will be used for the sample taking and holding of the samples Setting out this area you need paper towel laid out ready for the fish to be placed onto labelled epindorph tubes set out ready for the swab tip samples autoclaved tweezers and scissors opened and laid on paper towel ready for use autoclaved swabs one bag opened at a time ready for use and yellow disposal bag for placing fish into after swab has been taken You will also need a pen the recording sheets a camera and a timer plus a piece of disinfectant soaked paper towel for wiping down the tweezers in between each fish SOP Setting up of the fish The morning before the sample taking the Zebrafish are
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 157 Do Buccal swabs from Zebrafish give enough of a sample of DNA to be used as a viable non invasive method of genotyping separated from the other Zebrafish within the facility to ensure that they are not fed as any debris from food within the mouth may interfere with the DNA results from the samples Rinse out the tank and net using normal tap water and place equipment back At this point the fish will be placed into their experiment groups of 10 5 males and 5 females in a clean tank with fresh aquarium water The fish will be chosen at random from a communal holding tank Randomness will occur due to the movement and nature of the fish Once separated and organised they can be placed back onto the aquarium system and remain there until the time of sample taking The sample taking method for each fish needs to be repeatable The method will change for each experimental group depending on the number of rotations but everything else will remain the same SOP Sample taking All equipment needs be set out beforehand ready for the sample taking Procedure Procedure First set up clean aquarium tanks these are Tecniplast ZebTec Tanks as many as needed and half fill each tank with aquarium system water Using an aquarium fish net remove each fish at a time from the communal tank identifying which are males and females and place the correct number of each into each tank The experimental group sizes are a total of 10 fish 5 males and 5 females Once the correct number for each tank is reached place lid onto tank Label the tank as WILDTYPE 5 males and 5 females Place and connect the tank back onto the aquarium system Repeat this until the correct number of fish have been housed into the required experimental groups Rinse the net with aquarium system water and place back SOP Euthanasia of the fish Remove one fish at a time from the MS222 selecting each fish noting if it is male or female Star t the timer Next gently dab the fish on paper towel TORK Hygiene Roll to remove excess water then move and place the fish on sampling area facing for wards towards you Using tweezers Pake Dissecting Forcep Curved Fine Serrated Jaw 115m gently open the mouth of the fish just wide enough to be able to insert the swab TAMIYA Craft Cotton Swab Triangular Extra small 50PCS Insert the swab Remove tweezers from the mouth leaving the swab in place allowing the mouth to close around the tip of the swab Rotate the swab for the necessary amount of times depending upon the experimental group Remove swab from mouth ensuring not to touch anything with the tip Keeping hold cut off the tip with the sample on off into the correct epindorph tube with scissors Close the lid on the epindorph tube and stop the timer Each set of experimental grouped housed fish will be euthanised separately using an overdose of Tricaine Pharmaq MS222 Dispose of the holding end of swab into the bin Procedure Now an inspection of the fish is carried out looking for any signs of damage to the mouth Set up the MS222 euthanasia tank according the manufacturer s instructions and dose rates for Tricane Pharmq Mix 0 3g MS222 powder in 1 litre volume of water to obtain the desired concentration Add 3 57g of sodium bicarbonate to give the mixture a PH value of 8 This must be a separate tank from the general use aquarium tanks Using a net designated for use with MS222 catch each fish into the net and immerse in the made up MS222 solution Watch each fish for signs of decrease movement and respiration rate until both stop Once all movement has ceased it is recommended to wait 10 minutes to ensure that death has occurred The fish are now ready for the sample taking Record all results on the recording sheets and take any pictures The fish can now be disposed of in the yellow disposable bag Reset the timer and wipe down the tweezers ready for the next fish SOP DNA extraction Remove each fish from the tank and take the sample one at a time First add 50 milimolar mM of Sodium Hydroxide to the sample inside the epindorph tube repeating for all samples Vortex each sample for 5 seconds then heat all samples to 95 C for 20 mins in a thermal cylinder After this add 5 mM solution Tris buffer PH8 1 molar M solution to each sample The samples can now be stored at 4 C ready for PCR Once finished using the MS222 it may be poured down the designated drain For PCR begin with using 0 2ml PCR tubes adding 2ul of the DNA sample mixed with 8 5 ul H2O 1 ul of 157
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 158 Do Buccal swabs from Zebrafish give enough of a sample of DNA to be used as a viable non invasive method of genotyping primer IPIP27A_F 1ul of primer IPIP27A_R and 12 5 ul GoTag green master mix Promega Run this on the following PCR cycle using a Techne 3Prime Thermal Cycler for Run order cycles Temperature Set 1 Time secs degrees Celsius 1 1 95 120 2 30 95 30 60 30 72 30 3 72 120 4 4 hold Figure 2 Sample results for 0 2 4 6 8 and 10 rotations These samples are then loaded onto a 2 5 Agarose gel containing SafeView and run at 100V for 40 minutes They are then imaged using a UV transilluminator TRIAL STRAIN D O B RUN 1 WT SEX NUMBER OF ROTATIONS 29 1 2015 M 0 TIME TAKEN seconds 56 4 SIGNS PICTURE OF TAKEN DAMAGE NO Yx1 2 WT 29 1 2015 F 0 19 7 NO N 1 WT 29 1 2015 M 2 24 4 NO N 2 WT 29 1 2015 F 2 15 3 NO Yx1 1 WT 29 1 2015 M 4 27 2 NO Yx2 2 WT 29 1 2015 F 4 16 5 NO N 1 WT 29 1 2015 M 6 35 2 NO N 2 WT 29 1 2015 F 6 20 9 NO Yx2 1 WT 29 1 2015 M 8 27 8 NO Yx1 2 WT 29 1 2015 F 8 22 9 NO Yx1 1 WT 29 1 2015 M 10 29 3 NO N 2 WT 29 1 2015 F 10 22 1 NO N Discussion Results Set 1 Date 13 5 16 Time started 14 10 Time finished 14 46 Figure 1 Record sheet for Set 1 5 males and 5 females using 0 rotations 158 The results gained from set 1 were very promising Each sample gave a positive result when compared to the control sample In total 12 samples were taken 2 samples for a range of rotations 1 male and 1 female for each including 0 2 4 6 8 and 10 This helps to indicate firstly if a DNA positive result can be given and secondly if there are any differences to be found between the number of rotations The first male sample of 0 rotations is not as clear as the rest of the samples Due to this being the first sample which had been taken it may be the technique that was the cause It is not possible to rule out that this may also be a result of a lack of DNA being taken due to a low number of rotations The signal from the results becomes very strong on the female sample of 2 rotations and remains strong throughout the rest of the samples Pictures of the fish taken post sampling will help to evaluate if there were any visible signs of damage being caused From the pictures Appendix A no signs of mouth damage are visible This is also very promising The length of time seconds taken to sample fish is something to look at reducing A possible cause may be due to using tweezers to open the mouth of the fish first which is no longer necessary as the mouth will open when touched by the swab Due to these results I have been able to refine the project to minimise the amount of fish required for the next set of samples Due to gaining a positive result for all the samples also bearing in the mind the least amount of rotations is most likely to cause the least amount of damage the next set of samples will be using 0 3 rotations This will help give the best indication of how many rotations are needed to gain enough DNA for a positive result
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 159 Do Buccal swabs from Zebrafish give enough of a sample of DNA to be used as a viable non invasive method of genotyping Set 2 Samples from swabs using 0 3 rotations SAMPLE STRAIN D O B 1 WT SEX NUMBER OF ROTATIONS 29 1 2015 M 0 TIME TAKEN seconds 15 93 SIGNS PICTURE OF TAKEN DAMAGE N N 2 WT 29 1 2015 F 0 10 29 N N 3 WT 29 1 2015 M 0 14 95 N N 4 WT 29 1 2015 F 0 9 98 N N 5 WT 29 1 2015 M 0 9 97 N N 6 WT 29 1 2015 F 0 9 48 N N 7 WT 29 1 2015 M 0 7 49 N Y 8 WT 29 1 2015 F 0 10 09 N Y 9 WT 29 1 2015 M 0 6 47 N Y 10 WT 29 1 2015 F 0 9 13 N Y The samples from this set have given very clear positive results The fourth female sample is slightly dimmer than the other results but is still a clear positive A dimmer result could be due to the amount of DNA collected on the sample The lower the amount of DNA collected the dimmer the result In a laboratory environment these results would be reliable and would not need to be repeated SAMPLE STRAIN D O B SEX NUMBER OF TIME SIGNS PICTURE TAKEN OF TAKEN ROTATIONS seconds DAMAGE 1 WT 29 1 2015 M 1 9 08 N N 2 WT 29 1 2015 F 1 9 10 N N 3 WT 29 1 2015 M 1 9 22 N N 4 WT 29 1 2015 F 1 14 89 N Y 5 WT 29 1 2015 M 1 9 73 N N 6 WT 29 1 2015 F 1 9 56 N N Time finished 10 55 7 WT 29 1 2015 M 1 11 91 N N Figure 3 Record sheet for Set 2 5 males and 5 females using 0 rotations 8 WT 29 1 2015 F 1 10 49 N N 9 WT 29 1 2015 M 1 10 47 N Y 10 WT 29 1 2015 F 1 7 63 N N Date 31 5 16 Time started 10 39 DNA Ladder Date 31 5 16 Male Male Male Female Female Time finished 11 07 Female Time started 10 58 Male Male Female Figure 5 Record sheet for Set 2 5 males and 5 females using 1 rotations Female DNA Ladder Male Male Male Female Female Male Female Figure 4 Sample results for 0 rotations from 5 males and 5 females Female Female Male 159
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 160 Do Buccal swabs from Zebrafish give enough of a sample of DNA to be used as a viable non invasive method of genotyping Male Female Male Female Female Figure 6 Sample results for 1 rotation from 5 males and 5 females Again you can see these results are very clear to see and I have gained a positive result from all 10 samples The results are also brighter to see and therefore clearer than those gained using 0 rotations SAMPLE STRAIN D O B SEX NUMBER OF TIME SIGNS PICTURE TAKEN OF TAKEN ROTATIONS seconds DAMAGE Figure 8 Sample results for 2 rotations from 5 males and 5 females These results are giving bright positive results which are very clear The first female result is not as bright or clear compared to the other results in this set but it is still showing positive Again when these are directly compared to 0 rotations these are much clearer to see 1 WT 29 1 2015 M 2 12 27 N Y 2 WT 29 1 2015 F 2 9 93 N Y 3 WT 29 1 2015 M 2 14 43 N N 4 WT 29 1 2015 F 2 8 98 N N 5 WT 29 1 2015 M 2 8 73 N N 6 WT 29 1 2015 F 2 9 46 N N 7 WT 29 1 2015 M 2 12 89 N N OF 8 WT 29 1 2015 F 2 9 33 N N ROTATIONS seconds DAMAGE 9 WT 29 1 2015 M 2 9 87 N Yx3 1 WT 29 1 2015 M 3 13 93 N N 10 WT 29 1 2015 F 2 14 69 N N 2 WT 29 1 2015 F 3 11 56 N N 3 WT 29 1 2015 M 3 11 26 N N Date 31 5 16 4 WT 29 1 2015 F 3 10 51 N N Time started 11 10 5 WT 29 1 2015 M 3 12 47 N N 6 WT 29 1 2015 F 3 11 61 N N 7 WT 29 1 2015 M 3 12 27 N Y 8 WT 29 1 2015 F 3 11 52 N Yx2 9 WT 29 1 2015 M 3 10 34 N N 10 WT 29 1 2015 F 3 13 31 N N SAMPLE STRAIN D O B SEX NUMBER TIME SIGNS PICTURE TAKEN OF TAKEN Time finished 11 22 Figure 7 Record sheet for Set 2 5 males and 5 females using 2 rotations DNA Ladder Date 31 5 16 Time started 11 25 Male Male Male Female Time finished 11 36 Female 160 Figure 9 Record sheet for Set 2 5 males and 5 females using 3 rotations
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 161 Do Buccal swabs from Zebrafish give enough of a sample of DNA to be used as a viable non invasive method of genotyping Date 18 7 16 DNA Ladder Time started 15 07 Male Male Male Female Time finished 15 13 Female Male Female Male Female Female Figure 11 Record sheet for Set 3 5 males and 5 females using 0 rotations Female Female Male Male Female Female Male Female Male Male Figure 10 Sample results for 3 rotations from 5 males and 5 females All results are positive and are shown very clearly when using 3 rotations All 40 samples which have been taken have given a positive result The signal has become brighter and clearer the more rotations that have been carried out This gives the indication that although 0 rotations does give positive result using 2 or 3 rotations gives much brighter and clearer results Figure 12 Sample results from swabs using 0 rotation from 5 females and 5 males Female Female Female Male Male Set 3 RUN STRAIN D O B SEX NUMBER OF TIME SIGNS PICTURE TAKEN OF TAKEN Female Male Female Male Male ROTATIONS seconds DAMAGE 1 WT 29 1 2015 M 0 10 03 N Yx1 2 WT 29 1 2015 F 0 9 73 N Yx2 3 WT 29 1 2015 M 0 7 63 N N 4 WT 29 1 2015 F 0 7 36 N N 5 WT 29 1 2015 M 0 7 96 N N 6 WT 29 1 2015 F 0 7 09 N Yx1 7 WT 29 1 2015 M 0 7 70 N N 8 WT 29 1 2015 F 0 10 14 N N 9 WT 29 1 2015 M 0 5 53 N Yx1 10 WT 29 1 2015 F 0 7 09 N N Figure 13 Sample results from tail fin clips from 5 females and 5 males The pictures above show the sample results from both Buccal swabs using 0 rotations and tail fin clips from 5 males and 5 females As you can see from these results all have given a positive result The tail fin clip samples are brighter 161
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 162 Do Buccal swabs from Zebrafish give enough of a sample of DNA to be used as a viable non invasive method of genotyping than the Buccal swab samples but all results are clear and easy to see therefore making them viable and reliable Comparing the tail fin clips to the 3 rotation results found in Set 2 it shows that these are very similar in brightness and strength being able to restrain a Zebrafish for short periods of time 10 seconds when compared to 38 seconds Any reduction in the time it takes to complete a procedure is also best for animal welfare which is working within the aims of the 3Rs Overall the removal of using the tweezers has been very positive and I do not predict a need for their use in fur ther investigations 40 00 35 00 Time seconds 30 00 25 00 20 00 15 00 10 00 5 00 The graph above shows a comparison of the average times taken to gain a sample for Set 2 and Set 3 for 0 rotations This shows a decrease in times taken between the set This may represent a reflection of myself being quicker at sample taking due to practice and experience This shows with the correct training the length of time taken to sample can be minimal the lowest being less than 6 seconds Set 3 sample 9 0 00 Images of fish taken after swab sampling Graph 1 Comparison of average times taken for 0 rotations for Set 1 Set 2 and Set 3 Set 1 Pictures 1 8 of fish after taking swab samples The graph above shows the average times taken for 0 rotations from each of the sets This demonstrates the difference in the times taken between using the tweezers for opening of the fish mouth in Set 1 when compared to Set 2 and Set 3 There is a large decrease from Set 1 indicating that the removal of using tweezers to open the mouth of the fish before inserting the swab makes the sample taking time much longer Being able to reduce this time is important as it will allow for the fish to be under anaesthetic for a shorter period of time 1 2 4 5 7 8 3 Time seconds It also helps to give rise to the idea that anaesthetic may not be needed for the sample taking in future investigations as there maybe a greater possibility of Graph 2 Comparison of times taken for each sample for 0 rotations in Set 2 and Set 3 162 6
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 163 Do Buccal swabs from Zebrafish give enough of a sample of DNA to be used as a viable non invasive method of genotyping Set 2 Pictures 1 14 of fish after taking sample swabs 1 2 3 4 5 6 Set 3 Pictures 1 5 of fish after taking sample swabs 1 2 4 5 3 Conclusion The results gained from this project show that enough DNA can be gained to give a positive result using buccal swabs The results also show that from these findings to gain a result that is of the same strength when compared to tail fin clips using 3 rotations is necessary although a positive result can be gained from 0 rotations 7 10 8 11 9 12 Future investigations This method of genotyping for Zebrafish needs to be further investigated The results gained from this project show that it is possible to gain a positive result using this method but it has been limited to using only euthanised animals and tested using a single gene For the future investigations into other genes will be needed to ensure it is functional across the Zebrafish genome Also investigations using live animals will be necessary to ensure that no damage to the mouth area or any other lasting harm has occurred and that the fish are able to function fully after the procedure Acknowledgements Special thanks to Mr Anthony Jackson Research Technician Manchester University Mr Graham Morrissey Depar tment Head BSF Manchester University References 1 13 14 Jing L 2012 Genotyping for single Zebrafish Fin Clip or ZebraFish embr yo Bioprotocol Bio10 e182 DOI 10 21769BioProtoc 182 163
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 164 Do Buccal swabs from Zebrafish give enough of a sample of DNA to be used as a viable non invasive method of genotyping 2 3 4 5 6 Smalley J V and Campanella J J 2005 Buccal swabbing and extraction of high quality sunfish Lepomis DNA for use in PCR BioTechniques Vol 38 No 2 February 2005 pp 189 190 Sneddon L U 2003 The Evidence for Pain in Fish the use of morphine as an analgesic Applied Animal Behaviour Volume 83 Issue 2 p153 162 Le Vin A L Tedder A A Arnold K E and Mable B K 2011 Validation of swabs as a non destructive and relatively non invasive DNA sampling method in fish Molecular Ecology Resources 11 1 pp 107 109 doi 10 1111 j 1755 0998 2010 02909 x https books google co uk books id PTU0mbQAasC pg PT388 lpg PT388 dq male zebrafish ag gressive source bl ots KiVgo0I56 sig j6OQoLNZ3nPKFMI DX9GmufHpuU hl en sa X ved 0ahUKEwjpsZDcy4_PAhWBLsAKHbnQClYQ6AEITzA M v onepage q male 20zebrafish 20aggressive f fa lse http freshaquarium about com cs cyprinids2 p zebradanio htm 164
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 December 2017 11 46 Page 165 Animal Technology and Welfare How to be an AWERB champion report of a workshop at IAT Congress 2017 PENNY HAWKINS 1 TANIA BODEN 2 JOLENE HAMMONDS 3 and MAGGY JENNINGS1 1 2 3 Research Animals Department Science Group RSPCA Wilberforce Way Southwater West Sussex RH13 9RS UCB Celltech 208 Bath Road Slough Berkshire SL1 3WE Biological Services Unit James Black Centre King s College London 125 Coldharbour Lane London SE5 9NU Correspondence penny hawkins rspca org uk Introduction The workshop aimed to provide Animal Technologists with information and advice To assist them in becoming more involved in the Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body AWERB at their establishment and To provide encouragement for them to become local AWERB champions It was run twice during Congress 2017 and this paper is a summary of both sessions combined The workshops began with a presentation from Penny Hawkins PH explaining why there is a need for people to champion their AWERB and what this means in practice This was followed by an Animal Technologists s perspective on being an AWERB champion presented by Tania Boden TB in the first workshop and Jolene Hammonds JH in the second The workshops concluded with turning point voting and breakout discussion sessions Over the two workshops 49 Animal Technologists attended 37 from universities or research institutes 4 from industry and 8 from other facility types including breeding establishments They were asked to select all of the roles that applied to them from a list including the roles of Animal Technologist selected by 32 participants Named Animal Care and Welfare Officer NACWO 19 Named Training and Competency Officer NTCO 8 Named Information Officer NIO 3 Establishment Licence Holder ELH 1 scientist 4 and Named Veterinary Surgeon NVS 0 Just under half of the participants were AWERB members of these nine people had been members for up to one year nine for between 1 and 5 years and five for over 5 years two for more than 10 Why do AWERBs need champions Many AWERBs are well supported work effectively to address all of their tasks and contribute significantly to improving science animal and staff welfare and the establishment s culture of care Unfor tunately however this is not always the case and problems can arise For example there may be a general lack of awareness of and support for the AWERB and its role within the establishment The focus may be on the project licence review function and less time may be allocated for the other tasks all of which are important see the Animals in Science Regulation Unit ASRU Guidance on the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 ASPA and the RSPCA LASA Guiding Principles on good practice for AWERBs for a full task list 1 2 Some AWERBs are predominantly reactive responding to issues as they arise rather than looking at the bigger picture or proactively bringing in new information e g on animal welfare or the Three Rs Communication both by and to the AWERB may be poor there may be little engagement with staff especially scientists and both resources and authority may be lacking There are several bodies and individuals that ought to address these kinds of issues if they arise The Home Office ASRU sets out its expectations of the AWERB in its Guidance on the ASPA and in Standard Condition 6 of the Establishment Licence 1 The local Home Office Inspector can attend AWERB meetings as an observer and should recognise if the AWERB is not operating effectively as should both the Establishment Licence Holder whom the AWERB advises and the AWERB chair The AWERB itself should review its own per formance periodically but even so it may be unaware that it is not operating to good practice guidelines and fulfilling its expectations Given the specific expertise and individual perspectives of Animal Technologists there is a great deal that they can do to help ensure any problems are recognised and 165
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 166 How to be an AWERB champion Report of a workshop at IAT Congress 2017 tackled and to champion their AWERB even if they are not actually AWERB members So what can I do First and foremost it is important to be confident that you know who is on the AWERB how it operates and what its full range of tasks comprises Once you are fully informed regarding the AWERB s role and tasks you can speak up if you feel they are not adequately implemented For example if new information about refinement does not seem to be getting through to the AWERB you might want to raise this More positively you can pass on useful information on the 3Rs animal welfare or ethical issues to the AWERB This should help to shape local values and contribute a wider range of perspectives And since many Animal Technologists work closely with scientists you are ideally placed to help improve the way scientists see the AWERB and to encourage them to be more involved themselves But how to go about it The Home Office requires that one or more NACWOs be a member of the AWERB so the NACWO should be a good source of information with respect to who sits on the AWERB and the tasks it has to undertake The NACWO and NIO should both be able to point you in the direction of other useful resources such as the RSPCA LASA Guiding principles on good practice for AWERBs 2 Your NACWO and the NVS who should also be a member should both provide a good route to channel comments criticisms positive feedback and ideas to the AWERB Within an establishment there are often other bodies that feed into the AWERB such as species specific user groups refinement groups or project focussed groups and sitting on these provides a good opportunity for input Just looking out for and supporting the AWERB s initiatives such as holding open meetings or organising seminars on the 3Rs topics is enormously helpful However the Home Office encourages Establishment Licence Holders to widen AWERB membership beyond the legal minimum so it may be worth asking if you could become a member yourself or at least sit in on AWERB meetings albeit without official membership Enthusiastic volunteers are often very welcome For more information on how to become involved with your AWERB see reference 3 Viewpoint from an experienced AWERB member TB set out her observations on must haves for a 166 successful and empowered AWERB It is especially important that AWERB meetings are inclusive open and honest so that everyone can be heard and that constructive feedback is given to project licence applicants and others whose work is affected or overseen by the AWERB This is greatly helped if there is an effective and authoritative chair who is experienced in running AWERB meetings and will encourage all members to speak taking account of their views or is able to access training to help acquire the necessary skills When taking issues that require operational solutions to the AWERB e g relating to training competency or resource it is important to never just present the problem Always think about solutions that may help generate discussion and lead to practical solutions Ideally lower level disagreements should not be taken to the AWERB but dealt with as they occur although it is helpful to repor t any positive outcomes e g adaptations to welfare assessment sheets or extra observations to the AWERB As an example some discrepancies were found in proposed actual severity scores when annual returns were generated It appeared that the personal licence holder had simply recorded the prospective score without really thinking about the animal s whole life experience Fur ther discussions confirmed that personal licensees did not always review the day to day welfare assessment outcomes and use these to gain a more accurate assessment of the animals experiences As a result project licence holders were asked to check in with personal licence holders once a procedure was completed They were asked to discuss the welfare assessment sheets with them and check these with the NACWO before submission of the retrospective review reports and annual returns The whole process including the solution was reported to the AWERB This is a good example of members of the AWERB including named persons and project and personal licence holders working together to improve both animal welfare and establishment culture Viewpoint from a new AWERB member JH shared her perceptions of the AWERB as a relatively new member and set out her own plans for becoming an AWERB champion within her establishment It is important to recognise that the AWERB should be inclusive of all members views and recognise the Animal Technologist s perspective as a very valuable one All participants should feel confident to ask questions and raise any ethical or animal welfare concerns they may have
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 167 How to be an AWERB champion Report of a workshop at IAT Congress 2017 It is clear that reviewing project licence applications is an important task for the AWERB as is providing advice and guidance on application of the 3Rs but other tasks are also essential including providing the scope and platform to have wider ethical discussions for example via the forum for ethical discussion function This relates not only to consideration of the ethical issues within project licences but also to engaging the wider scientific community in considering the bigger picture A lot of project licence applications seem to use the phrase this is the method used by other groups but it is not always clear whether and how well these groups communicate to identify refinements The AWERB could encourage researchers to set up more platforms to share ways of reducing suffering and improving welfare AWERBs could also benefit from having an update from Animal Technologists as a regular item on the agenda to help us bring our new ideas especially relating to animal welfare to the committee These could include information picked up from lectures or meetings or vital knowledge gathered in house such as behaviours with positive or negative implications noticed in the animal house reports on post surgery refinements and recover y obser vations of nest building social behaviour and enrichment preferences between different strains and issues with mortality These could be presented by Animal Technologists at AWERB meetings in sub group meetings or by way of an Animal Technologists newsletter So even if you are a less experienced member or not a member at all there are many ways you can be a champion of your AWERB Discussion sessions We asked participants four questions 1 How well they felt their AWERBs were addressing all of their tasks including those that involve putting the ethics in 2 How they felt researchers viewed the AWERB 3 What they would like to tell researchers 4 How well supported they felt when they raised issues with the AWERB The results of the turning point voting and subsequent discussions are set out below with some action points to help address the issues raised i Does your AWERB address all of its tasks In general participants felt that their AWERBs were doing well with respect to addressing all of their tasks Those that received relatively fewer votes were a providing a forum for discussion and development of ethical advice to the ELH b advising on rehoming including socialisation c helping to promote a culture of care within the establishment and as appropriate in the wider community and d establishing and reviewing management and operational processes for monitoring reporting and follow up in relation to animal welfare This does not mean that the establishments in question were not implementing these tasks the question related to how the AWERB contributed towards achieving them Although the forum for discussion function received fewer votes participants believed that their AWERBs raised ethical issues within project licence review and that ethical considerations and discussions were included in other tasks especially retrospective review This led us to consider some of the recommendations in the recent RSPCA LASA LAVA IAT ESRC University of Nottingham booklet on the forum for discussion task 4 Many felt that the AWERBs were addressing a number of the action points recommended in this booklet e g scientists present their work including wider ethical aspects to the AWERB time is made for ethical discussion e g by delegating some tasks to subcommittees and a strong chair is in place who creates an atmosphere of trust enabling challenging issues to be raised Fewer people felt that their AWERBs were implementing the booklet s recommendations that AWERB meetings should be open to all staff or that regional discussions are initiated about institutional approaches to openness e g via the ASC Hub network 5 Action points You can use the NACWO NVS ELH lay independent member or AWERB Chair as a channel to Ask your AWERB to reflect on how well all of the required tasks are being implemented surveying other members of staff e g Animal Technologists scientists the NVS management if necessary Bring the forum for discussion booklet4 to the AWERB s attention perhaps by asking the AWERB s administrator to circulate it to members as an item for discussion on a meeting agenda and ask whether its recommendations could be implemented Actively report any relevant initiatives or information to the AWERB such as culture of care related activities or advice that named persons have given to researchers or other staff Suggest satellite meetings or subcommittees to allow for discussion of ethical issues and to implement other tasks that may not currently receive sufficient priority Consider becoming more involved with your AWERB even if you are not a member ask for minutes and comment on them ask to sit in on meetings ask for information about the outcomes of decisions ii How do scientists view the AWERB How participants believed the scientists at their facilities viewed the AWERB is set out in Table 1 The 167
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 168 How to be an AWERB champion Report of a workshop at IAT Congress 2017 options provided were taken from a workshop for scientists on embracing ethical review held at a Society for Experimental Biology meeting on the 3Rs in 2016 Participants were allowed to tick as many boxes as they felt applied A useful sounding board to help plan projects and get them ready for the Home Office 24 It can be helpful sometimes G G G G 24 As a hoop hurdle pain G 23 G The AW ER B is here to help you and so are we We wish you knew more about our role and what it is like to do our jobs We want to know about your science including updates and the impact we can have on your work Spend more time engaging and communicating with us We really appreciate it when scientists know about the behaviour biology and welfare needs of their study species We are experts too The AWERB should not be judging their projects 15 Action points An essential asset to help them conduct humane science 15 It lacks essential expertise 7 Table 1 Participants perceptions on how scientists view their AWERB People reported a fairly even split between perceiving that on the one hand scientists appreciated the contribution that the AWERB can make to better science and welfare and on the other that they felt some frustration with it It would be helpful for the AWERB to give scientists the opportunity to explain how they actually feel about their AWERB and to see whether they are aware of the benefits to their science and the welfare of the animals they use Aim to engage with scientists at your establishment if communication is a problem Many are supportive of the AWERB and may be able to help you to influence their colleagues A recent paper on Communicating the culture of care has useful tips for Animal Technologists who want to develop their relationships with researchers 6 If you feel that researchers could know more about the biology and welfare needs of their study species or about your role suggest to the ELH or AWERB that Animal Technologists and or named persons present a talk or run a discussion forum or workshop on the topic If you feel that relations and understanding between scientists and the AWERB could be improved suggest that the AWERB gives researchers the opportunity to express their views and concerns e g via a survey iv Encouragement support and training iii What would you like to tell researchers We asked In addition to knowing about their science what other skills and exper tise would you like scientists to have What do you wish they knew and what would you like to tell them Some example quotes are listed in box 1 and most responses related to one of the following key themes Wanting better two way communication between researchers and Animal Technologists Wishing that researchers in general had increased fundamental awareness of animals biology behaviour and welfare needs and Wanting researchers to have a greater understanding of the Animal Technologist s role with a willingness to engage and include them in the research process for the benefit of animals and science Box 1 Some quotes from the session on what would you like to tell researchers include 168 Around three quar ters of the par ticipants felt supported and encouraged by their AWERBs when they participated in discussions during AWERB meetings When asked whether the AWERB was supportive if they wanted to raise a concern wanted an issue discussed or wanted to pass on some information almost half said yes just two said no and the remainder ticked it depends or had never tried this It was also pointed out that Animal Technologists can in turn support lay or independent members if they are nervous about asking questions or about dealing with the answers For more discussion of good working relationships between lay members and animal technologists see reference 7 Of the 42 people who responded when asked whether AWERB membership was par t of their Personal Development Plan PDP 17 said yes 18 no and the remaining seven did not have a PDP Having a PDP that includes AWERB membership is particularly important in succession planning for NACWOs ensuring that
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 169 How to be an AWERB champion Report of a workshop at IAT Congress 2017 there is adequate and continuous NACWO support with respect to both the role s statutory duties under the ASPA and NACWO input into the AWERB Few people had received adequate induction into their AWERB 3 of the 22 who responded When asked to choose which skills or competencies for AWERB members they would appreciate training in all of the following were popular options G G G G the role and tasks of the AWERB soft skills e g making points constructively dealing with opposing views listening skills identifying animal welfare issues and addressing harms practical ethics Participants also said they would like training in reviewing the science but when this was discussed further it was clear that the Animal Technologists present did not feel it was their role to review the science and we had asked the wrong question What participants wanted was induction in the science conducted at the facility e g key research directions approaches and interests They felt that this would help set the context for the rest of the AWERB s work and their own roles as animal technologists caring for the animals used in the research Acknowledgements Thank you to the IAT for accepting the workshops at Congress and for working with the RSPCA to increase Animal Technologists engagement with and contributions to the AWERB We are also grateful to all those who attended and participated in the two workshops References all URLs accessed 20 July 2017 1 2 3 4 5 6 When asked what kind of training would be useful the most popular choice was discussion workshops although other options were also well supported i e taught courses swaps with members of other establishment s AWERBs online training and more meetings like the RSPCA LASA LAVA IAT AWERB UK events8 and the RSPCA Lay Members Forum Courses that people had already done included IAT modules 33 people Home Office modules 37 other non HO module courses by trainers e g Learning Curve Red Kite Charles River 27 and College of Laboratory Animal Science and Technology CLAST courses 4 7 8 9 Home Office 2014 Guidance on the Operation of the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 Her Majesty s Stationery Office London RSPCA LASA 2015 Guiding Principles on Good Practice for Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Bodies 3rd edn RSPCA Southwater Download at tinyurl com RSPCA LASA AWERB Hawkins P Farmer A M and Woodley S 2015 How to become involved with the Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body AWERB report of a workshop held at the 2015 IAT Congress Animal Technology and Welfare Vol 14 No 3 pp 165 169 Hawkins P and Hobson West P 2017 The AWERB as a Forum for Discussion RSPCA Southwater Download at view pagetiger com AWERB AWERB Animals in Science Committee 2017 AWERB Hub Support Note version 1 Download at www gov uk government publications awerb hub support note Boden T and Hawkins P 2016 Communicating the Culture of Care how to win friends and influence people Animal Technology and Welfare Vol 15 No 3 pp 151156 Jennings M 2010 Lay members and animal technologists working together to enhance the ERP Animal Technology and Welfare Vol 9 No 3 pp 139142 RSPCA LASA LAVA IAT 2016 tinyurl com AWERBUK2016 RSPCA LASA 2017 Developing induction materials for AWERB members Download at lasa co uk wp content uploads 2017 04 AWERB IP Final pdf Action points If you do not feel supported when you contribute to the AWERB or its associated groups discuss this with the chair your line manager or a senior member of staff such as the NACWO Ask for AWERB membership to be included in your personal development plan and if you do not have one talk to your NTCO to help you develop one If your facility does not have an induction programme for AWERB members raise the issue with the chair or ELH or ask the NACWO NVS to do this using the RSPCA LASA guidance on developing induction programmes for AWERB members 9 Tell the IAT about any unmet training needs that would help you to be an effective AWERB member and champion 169
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 170 1 12 17 11 46 Page 170
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 171 December 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare The current situation in testing of dogs and handlers for animal assisted activities and therapies in the Czech Republic and potential changes in the field KRISTYNA MACHOV 1 VACLAV BITTNER2 and IVONA SVOBODOV 1 1 2 Department of Husbandry and Ethology of Animals Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Kam ck 129 165 00 Praha Suchdol Czech Republic Department of Mathematics and Didactics of Mathematics Faculty of Science Humanities and Education Technical University of Liberec Univerzitn n m st 1410 1 460 01 Liberec 1 Czech Republic Correspondence machovakristyna af czu cz Summary Introduction Animal assisted Activities AAA and Animal assisted Therapy AAT are becoming increasingly popular in the Czech Republic Different organisations prepare their own tests in order to train and allow handlers to perform AAA AAT The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of this testing and the skills of handlers officially entitled to perform AAA AAT The study mainly focussed on the duration on the theoretical training the length of implementation of AAA AAT and specific knowledge on welfare and laws to protect animals against cruelty Respondents answers to most of the questions varied greatly In consequence a proposal to divide the testing examination for AAA and for AAT is made in this article due to the significant theoretical and practical difference of AAT implementation The relationship between humans and dogs have been shaped over thousands of years Their interactions have been mutually beneficial not only from a practical point of view but also from an emotional one 1 An extraordinary ability to communicate and understand each other thus developed in both species over time 2 One natural result of this relationship has been the progressively increased inclusion of dogs in rehabilitation processes Key Words Animal assisted Activities Animal assisted Therapy Education Testing Highlights AAA AAT is a field that is growing rapidly It is necessary to ascertain what is the level of testing for these purposes The results are not uniform and testing methodology is diverse Due to differences between AAA and AAT we propose to divide the testing for authorisation between the activity of AAA and AAT as well as testing methodology and content of theoretical training In recent years the popularity of animal assisted activities AAA and animal assisted therapies AAT in the Czech Republic has increased Even if in the view of the general public these two concepts might seem interchangeable it is necessary to make a clear distinction between them Animal Assisted Activities AAA are encounters between humans and dogs which are used for basic activation of patients and distraction from their stereotypical environment These meetings are held either individually or in groups for example in the form of experiential events They do not have a clearly defined goal and the diagnosis of the patients is not considered when preparing the specific visits On the other hand Animal Assisted Therapies AAT are provided by a certified therapeutic team consisting of the animal and its handler aiming to promote and improve the social emotional physical and cognitive functions of the patient Animal Assisted Activities are part of the therapy the main difference between AAA and AAT is in the specific goals that are associated with 171
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 172 The current situation in testing of dogs and handlers for animal assisted activities and therapies in the Czech Republic the second While AAA is used mainly to entertain and activate patients AAT has a clearly defined therapeutic target One very important part of AAT is proper positioning it is placement of the client into positions that are to him her healthy 3 4 5 In case of a dog positioning it is to be done on predefined areas of the client s body where it warms the area to which the physiotherapist starts manipulating or stretching Therapeutic visits provide either the interaction between one person and one animal or involve multiple participants within the session Such therapies can include domesticated companion animals e g dogs cats guinea pigs livestock animals e g horses pigs or aquatic animals e g dolphins but in the majority of therapies dogs are more commonly used Animal assisted activities and animal assisted therapies During the AAA AAT dogs are not selective regarding the clients do not discriminate against them and are neither offended nor judging 1 This is also one of the reasons suppor ting the use of dogs in these interactions Dogs love unconditionally they are honest harmless and very clear They are also not ironic do not lie nor are they compassionate Their presence is therefore mainly friendly and they make people more receptive and comfortable 6 For this reason AAT is being used to support treatment for patients with varied kinds of diagnosis e g cerebral palsy Down s syndrome epilepsy autism hyperactivity and schizophrenia 7 8 In such cases dogs are mainly emotionally supportive and often serve as a bridge of communication between the client and the therapist 9 Some of the proven specific benefits of AAT using dogs are lower levels of blood pressure heart rate anxiety loneliness and stress in the clients while at the same time increasing social interaction emotional wellbeing mental state and general quality of life The animal assisted therapy is also influencing the reduction of the physical and mental pain that the client perceives 10 reducing respiratory rate and enhancing mood Additionally after the intervention clients feel more energetic 11 AAT using dogs lowers blood levels of catecholamines adrenaline and noradrenaline 12 AAA AAT standards The present situation in testing the dogs and handlers for AAA AAT According to data obtained from the annual reports of AAA AAT related Czech organisations every year there are approximately 100 new teams composed of a dog and its handler that pass an examination entitling them to per form these activities and therapies 172 Additionally it is assumed that in the Czech Republic a minimum of 2 000 people have permission to perform AAA AAT However it is unknown how many of this number are actively practising AAA AAT Other reports also show that there is a worldwide trend of an increasing number of individuals who voluntarily attend facilities such as nursing homes day care centres special schools and hospitals without claiming financial reward 6 Therefore due to the fact that several hospitals have their own volunteers per forming AAA AAT the issue of taking into account the preparation of people involved in the activity is raised Since involving animals in therapy means their presence in facilities such as hospitals retirement homes and similar institutions it is necessary to adhere to certain regulations governing both animals and humans The management of the hospital must agree with the dog being present while any permission to visit premises with a dog requires following a procedure including rules and safety conditions 13 There is also a risk that when in contact with staff and patients the dog could carry a particular pathogen and subsequently ser ve as a source of infection to patients 14 Furthermore standards exist under which the dog should not eat raw meat and not be exposed to patients with open wounds or weakened immune systems for at least 90 days prior to treatment 15 Nevertheless some studies have shown that in terms of sanitation of the facility no deterioration was recorded through giving access to dogs These research studies did not find any increase in microorganisms and infections in hospitals during visits to premises by dog assisted therapy teams 16 According to the American Veterinar y Medical Association Council on Education anyone who provides AAA or AAT should ensure that the animals in the team and the therapist are healthy enough to go to facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes It is also very important to encourage individuals to observe animal behaviour thereby ensuring that suitably settled and cooperative animals are selected whilst additionally identifying whether the dog is in a condition to keep carrying out the treatment and thus protecting it from any harm 17 Furthermore for the animal to be suitable for therapy the ability to closely interact with humans is necessary Choosing animals in a proper manner is essential because the safety of patients may otherwise be put at risk Gender breed colour or age of the dog are not important although 15 months is the minimum age required The determining factors in the selection of the dogs are their state of health whether they are calm and friendly suitably robust docile and able to tolerate the touch and firm hugs of patients However the therapy should take into consideration animal welfare when conducting the testing and selection Thus it is only carried out if the animal is in a good physical and mental condition and not tired or hungry The welfare of the animal also pertains to its ability to cope with the demands and requirements of the activity
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 173 The current situation in testing of dogs and handlers for animal assisted activities and therapies in the Czech Republic as well as to adapting to the particular environment Furthermore there must exist opportunities for the animal to express its natural behaviour 18 each team which is valid for two years In the Czech Republic the validity of such certificates ranges from one year to an unlimited duration 22 Before a handler starts to conduct dog assisted therapy activities with their dog the person is required to pass an examination that authorises him her to do so This includes a check up for the dog by a veterinary surgeon and testing of its obedience and controllability Fur ther sections of the animal examination are focussed on contact with unknown dogs and people as well as those with physical conditions or uncommon movements The response of the animal to wheelchairs or crutches is also evaluated as well as its reaction to receiving a treat from a stranger In addition to examining the predisposition of the animal to such physical conditions and overall interplay within the team 3 testing also needs to predict the reaction of the dog to stress Stress can be positive and promote the motivation to work but it predominately proves negative during any long term physiological impetus without relief from its symptoms Training a potential therapeutic dog reduces the amount of such stress during therapy 19 Dog testing may sometimes take place early in the life of the animal before any investment and work is put into the dog So called personality tests are carried out for example between weeks 6 and 12 of the dog s life It is also possible to per form temperament tests with puppies during the first week of the life of the animal A variety of physical tests are also done as well as examinations testing vocalisation frequency and volume milk sucking strength and sensitivity to painful stimuli 20 According to the information presented above it is clear that the AAT is directed towards professionalisation Claims for its performance are higher and consequently there should be greater demands on the handler who should have a basic knowledge of for example individual diagnosis speech disorders cognitive problems or therapeutic methods in order to maintain a high standard and quality of this service The training of dog assisted therapy specialists and education in this sector is still inconsistent and with some exceptions not very professional The training must be handled comprehensively meaning that both the handler and the dog must be educated Proper preparation should cover initial testing theoretical and practical elements and finally the practical examination of the team Nowadays a tendency is visible towards the professionalism of dog assisted therapy activities which mainly relates to the AAT method in addition to which attempts are under way to integrate dog assisted therapy in the social services Regarding the AAA the trend is for it to be defined as a voluntary activity of the Voluntary Service 21 21a In the field of dog assisted therapy the Delta Society is the most experienced entity in an international level In recent decades it has invested over half a million dollars in developing the methodology operating standards and the system of teaching animal assisted therapy It has a testing procedure in place used for assessing volunteers and their animals Compiling this standard was carried out on the basis of the experience of over 600 examiners and other specialists The Delta Society issues a certificate to The aim of this study is to explore the current state of the AAA AAT in the Czech Republic focussing on the appropriateness of the testing and the theoretical skills of the teams entitled to perform AAA AAT The duration and content of the tests and the previous theoretical knowledge needed to perform AAA AAT were also examined Due to the lack of a common methodological framework for AAT AAT testing the implementation of dog assisted therapies and the cooperation of the facilities at where teams provide such a service require additional research The different factors analysed in this study should lead to a reflection on the appropriateness to distinguish between testing teams dog and handler to entitle them to perform AAA and the testing required for AAT Methods Procedure On the basis of previous BSc dissertations by students at the Czech University of Life Sciences it was observed that the general awareness of dog assisted therapy teams in the Czech Republic is not as wide as one might expect Therefore the authors decided to develop a set of questions that should map the current situation and find out how well dog assisted therapy specialists are informed on the issues of welfare as well as what information they receive from trainers during dog assisted therapy examinations The survey was made available for 30 days from 25 April 2015 to 24 May 2015 and was circulated to every organisation holding dog assisted therapy examinations requesting them to send out the questionnaire to their client community base through their newsletter Of the 19 surveyed organisations 8 of them replied to the questionnaire The rest either ceased their activities or did not respond to the questionnaire Participants The participants were selected on the basis of their past or current involvement as handlers with existing organisations in the Czech Republic entitled to perform AAA AAT The final number of respondents in the study was 93 including newly licensed handlers as well as more experienced ones 173
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 174 The current situation in testing of dogs and handlers for animal assisted activities and therapies in the Czech Republic According to the replies to the questionnaire 15 9 of the participants have been conducting AAA AAT for less than one year In contrast 56 99 of them have been active for more than three years Regarding the location 40 of AAA AAT are performed in hospice care facilities 17 in orphanages and 25 8 in hospitals Data about the profession of the participants was also collected 18 2 of them belong among healthcare personnel 7 respondents are nurses 2 of them are physiotherapists 1 is a psychiatrist and others hold other healthcare positions With regard to the breeds of dogs used 47 of the respondents use large dog breeds the same percentage use medium breed dogs and the rest of the working dogs are of small breeds Regarding the frequency of the visits 40 of respondents visit the facility once a week to perform AAA AAT 10 do it twice a week 3 of them three times a week and 6 visit clients four times a week or more Importantly it is also worth mentioning that 82 of the respondents reported performing AAA while 67 had done AAT and 52 had used positioning in the therapy as well Measure The survey contained 39 questions and was produced via www survio com In the questionnaire single and multiple response items were included allowing their quantitative evaluation In addition it also contained several open ended questions Within the statistical processing simple linear estimates Horvitz Thomson in a finite population were performed Individual responses are based on the analysis of the frequency of satisfying the binomial or multinomial divided As part of the point estimates population abundance and its variance were determined Interval estimates were calculated at the level of significance a 0 05 The questionnaire was focussed on issues such as the duration of the AAA AAT and positioning as well as the perceived optimal frequency of the visits Furthermore questions inquiring about concepts such as welfare or burnout were included Participants were also asked if the length of the therapy should depend on the needs of the patients or the dogs Other topics covered in the questionnaire were the composition of AAA AAT teams whether any of the hospital staff is present during the visits and if an informed consent is signed Another area of the research was focussed specifically on the tests that teams need to pass in order to be able to perform AAA AAT and the certification obtained afterwards Participants were asked about the duration of the validity of this certification and whether it was applicable to only the dog or to both the dog and the handler 174 Results The results obtained after analysing the data from the questionnaire show that 33 3 of the respondents reported performing AAA visits for one hour while 18 of them do it for half an hour Interestingly 6 of the participants stated that they complete AAA visits in 10 minutes whilst the same percentage chose 50 minutes as the time they invest in performing the sessions Along the same line the reported duration of AAT was one hour for 24 7 of the respondents while the second most common answer was only 10 minutes 20 of respondents Regarding the questions asking specifically about the duration of positioning most of the participants perform it for 10 minutes 37 7 34 4 do it for 20 minutes and 19 6 of them for half an hour 5 of the respondents13 report performing positioning for one hour About the appropriateness of adapting the duration of therapy units and activities to dogs or to clients 90 of respondents stated that the duration depends on both the client and the dog On the other hand 8 preferred adapting the length of the sessions exclusively to the dog If significant dissatisfaction in the dog is perceived 92 of the participants affirmed they would end the activity immediately and 7 would do it in 15 minutes Regarding team composition 62 performed AAA AAT in teams composed by the handler the dog and professional medical staff 38 of them are active without any additional external supervision 53 of the respondents asked their clients to sign an informed consent while 47 did not In relation to permission to perform AAA AAT 79 affirmed having a certification linked to both the owner and the dog and for 21 this permission is associated only with the dog In 44 of the cases the authorisation is valid for one year while in 21 of them it is for two years and for 35 it has unlimited validity Within the AAA AAT theoretical training to obtain the mentioned cer tification 73 of handlers were acquainted with the techniques of positioning 92 5 were familiarised with model situations 60 of them with legislation with animals 62 4 with the law on protection of animals against cruelty 61 3 with dog ethology 56 with welfare and 74 2 with the concept of burnout In addition 66 of respondents said that their tests for AAA AAT lasted one day 6 45 answered that it lasted one afternoon morning 7 6 responded that it lasted two days and 20 4 that it lasted more than two days Moreover 28 of the participants affirmed that the organisations did not recommend a specific length of AAA AAT to them
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 175 The current situation in testing of dogs and handlers for animal assisted activities and therapies in the Czech Republic whilst 39 were recommended a duration of one hour by the organisations Lastly regarding the ability to perceive changes in the condition of the dog 95 of respondents said that they can recognise fatigue or burnout in their animals On the other hand 5 4 said that they are not able to recognise those symptoms 7 6 of respondents reported having dealt with burnout syndrome in dogs some time during their period working in AAA AAT In these cases 50 solved the problem by reducing the frequency of visits 25 stopped performing AAA AAT for a period of half a year 17 fully stopped implementing AAA AAT and 6 reduced the length of the visits Given the demanding nature of AAA AAT for the dogs it should be necessary for the handlers to have a basic knowledge on burnout and stress symptoms to ensure that the welfare of the dog is appropriately regarded This study also attempted to map the relationship between people who carry out only AAA and handlers who perform AAT as well Most of the respondents affirmed performing both AAA and AAT However as previously discussed the one day length of the training reported by the majority of the handlers proved to be insufficient to acquire and consolidate some of the relevant knowledge to perform AAT A question is thus raised on the kind of therapy in which these handlers were involved and whether it can be classified as AAT or it should have a different denomination Discussion It is necessary to improve our understanding of the theoretical training and testing that teams performing AAA AAT are receiving in the Czech Republic Identifying the different ways in which this training is given by various organisations will help us examine the needs to enforce the application of a common methodological framework and to establish control procedures for teams performing AAA AAT The present study aimed to contribute with new data in this regard examining the actual relevant knowledge and the preparation of the AAA AAT handlers in contrast with the training provided by the organisations Results of the study show that there was a wide range of answers in most of the chosen evaluated topics The theoretical training received by the handlers as well as the practical implementation of AAA AAT and the testing to get an AAA AAT certification varied greatly from one team and organisation to another These findings are consistent with existing literature on the topic such as a study by Eisertova 2008 25 who stressed the fragmented and disparate preparation that AAA AAT handlers had From our research it can be concluded that organisations are putting more emphasis on the practical preparation of the handlers and that the theoretical basis of the training is not as comprehensive as it could be Moreover discrepancies were found when comparing the concepts that organisations reported as included in training and the actual knowledge of the handlers Concepts such as welfare burnout or animal protection laws were known by only half of the participants of the study These shortcomings might lead to potentially dangerous outcomes in the sessions From a 2006 study by Lefebvre 14 the impor tance of the knowledge of potential zoonoses infectious diseases of animals that can be transmitted to humans was concluded recommending its inclusion in the training lectures Likewise apart from issues related to dog health knowledge related to animal welfare is also relevant 9 Nevertheless what seems obvious is that AAA AATs possess a clearly distinct nature based on the tasks carried out with the dog and the clients It is reasonable then to assume that these variations should also be reflected in different theoretical and practical training for AAA and for AAT in order for them to be appropriately adjusted to the learning needs of the handlers Teams who intend to pursue activities with the participation of animals should receive training on games motor development and cognitive functions In these cases the dog should be prepared to work with clients and should possess the necessary interest and ability to connect well with clients as well as basic obedience On the other hand teams who intend to pursue therapies should receive instruction regarding particular types of disabilities and different areas where dogs can be used to the benefit of the clients These would include the foundations of positioning patient handling and communication with selected types of patients such as the ones with conditions like aphasia neglect syndrome Alzheimers or other dementia A dog that would be used in therapy and positioning should practically demonstrate its ability and fitness to perform these tasks As not all dogs are suitable to perform positioning a specific evaluation of this point should be included in the testing Positioning being an integral part of many of the animal assisted therapies 3 a bigger emphasis should be put on testing and training 19 Concerning the average duration of the AAA AAT units our results showed a significant disparity between the participants ranging between 10 minutes and one hour Although no clear standardisation on this topic exists it should be expected that the handler will be able to adjust the duration of the units to eliminate stress and discomfort if perceived Regarding the conditions under which AAA AAT is performed almost half of the respondents mentioned were not asking their clients to sign an informed consent document Moreover a high number of 175
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 176 The current situation in testing of dogs and handlers for animal assisted activities and therapies in the Czech Republic participants also reported performing AAA AAT without any additional external supervision Contrasting these results with literature on the topic there seems to be room for concern Silveira et al 2006 13 stressed the impor tance of ensuring safety conditions when attending a hospital facility Par ticularly when performing AAT the client signing an informed consent document should be a non negotiable requirement Along the same lines therapies should be conducted under the supervision of medical pedagogical or otherwise qualified personnel to ensure safety during the sessions Even if the current lack of external supervision during AAA AAT may speak in favour of the good reputation that these activities and therapies have its public image and its place within standard treatment programmes could be severely damaged if several negative incidents happened during sessions without supervision or signed informed consent Although this study provided some relevant information in the field of AAA AAT in the Czech Republic these findings should be viewed with caution in light of some limitations These limitations would be more specific questions and more detailed answers to them as well as extension of demographic elements 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 In spite of the mentioned limitations this study contributes with new important data to improve the understanding of the current state of AAA AAT in the Czech Republic The growing interest and popularity of AAA AAT is undoubtedly positive for the field but it should be accompanied by a cer tain degree of standardisation and certification of the quality of work The international guidelines provided by the Delta Society could be a good starting point for the creation of a common methodological framework and the professionalisation of AAA AAT in the Czech Republic Additional research would be needed on the benefits provided by the activities and the therapies to the clients as well as on the optimal conditions for performing AAA AAT Finally findings from this study can also suggest the need for further researching the specific differences between animal assisted activities and animal assisted therapy and could serve as a basis for further investigation including for example determining the optimal duration of dog positioning to achieve maximum therapeutic effect Acknowledgements 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 The authors thank Aitor Sendino Fernandez for the incredible patience and diligence in preparing this article 19 References 1 2 Levinson B M and Mallon G P 1997 Pet orientated child psychotherapy Publisher Charles C Thomas ISBN10 0398066744 ISBN 13 978 0398066741 Miller J and Connor K 2000 Going to the dogs for help Nursing 30 11 pp 65 67 176 20 Fine A H 2011 Handbook on Animal assisted Therapy Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practic Academic Press 2010 ISBN 10 0123814537 ISBN 13 978 0123814531 Borisova Y and Bohannon R W 2009 Positioning to prevent or reduce shoulder range of motion impairments after stroke a meta analysis Clin Rehabil 2009 23 8 681 6 Bhalla A Tallis R C and Pomeroy V M 2005 The effects of positioning after stroke on physiological homeostasis a review Age Ageing 2005 34 4 401 6 Chandler C K 2005 Animal assisted Therapy in Counselling Routledge New York ISBN 10 0415888336 ISBN 13 978 0415888332 Nimer Janelle A and Lundahl Brad 2007 Animalassisted Therapy A Meta Analysis Anthrozo s 2007 20 3 225 238 Barker Sandra B A and Dawson Kathryn S 1998 The Effects of Animal assisted Therapy on Anxiety Ratings of Hospitalized Psychiatric Patients Psychiatric Services 1998 49 6 797 802 Odendaal J S J 2000 Animal assisted Therapy Magic or Medicine Journal of Psychosomatic Research 2000 49 275 280 Sobo E J Eng B and Kassity Krich N 2006 Caninine Visitation Pet Therapy Journal of Holistic Nursing 24 1 pp 51 57 Bulette Coakley Amanda A Mahoney and Ellen K 2009 Creating a Therapeutic and Healing Environment with a Pet Therapy program Complement Ther Clin Pract 2009 15 3 141 146 Cole Kathie M Gawlinski Anna Steers Neil and Kotlerman Jenny 2007 Animal assisted therapy in patients hospitalized with heart failure American Journal of Critical Care 2007 16 6 575 588 Silveira I R Santos N C and Linhares D R 2011 REVISLA DA ESCOLA DE ENFERMAGEM DA USP Protocol of the Animal assisted Activity Program at a University Hospital Latin American Journal of Bioethics 45 1 276281 Lefebvre S L 2006 Characteristics of Programs Involving Canine Visitation of Hospitalized People in Ontario Chicago Journals 27 7 755 758 Jackson A 2014 Do animals help people in hospitals Australian Veterinary Journal 92 6 86 87 Caprilli S and Messeri A 2006 Animal assisted Activity at a Meyer Children s Hospital a pilot study Evid Based Complement Alternative Med Vol 3 3 pp 379 383 Shaffer C B 2008 Enhancing Human Animal Relationship through Veterinary Medical Instruction in Animal assisted Therapy and Animal assisted Activities Journal of Veterinary Medical Education 35 4 503 510 Houpt et al 2007 Proceedings of a workshop to identify dog welfare issues in the US Japan Czech Republic Spain and the UK Applied Animal Behaviour Science 106 221 233 King C et al 2011 Effect of a time out session with working animal assisted therapy dogs Journal of Veterinary Behaviour 6 232 238 Riemer S et al 2011 Can early temperament test predict behavioral tendencies in dog puppies Journal of Veterinary Behaviour Clinical Applications and Research 6 79 80
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 177 The current situation in testing of dogs and handlers for animal assisted activities and therapies in the Czech Republic 21 22 23 Eisertov J and Bartesov A 2008 Use of therapy with assistance of dog within sojourn event of children with specific needs Journal of Health Science Management and Public Health 9 2 310 331 nceBased Complementary and Alternative Medicine 3 3 379 383 21 Eisertov J 2008 Canisterapie ve sv tle objektivn ch poznatk Kontakt supplement 10 2 107108 Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program online 2012 cit 2014 07 08 Dostupn z http www petpartners org PPTherapyAnimalProgram 177
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 178 1 12 17 11 46 Page 178
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 179 December 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare PAPER SUMMARY TRANSLATIONS INHALTVERZEICHNIS Liefern Mundschleimhautentnahmen bei Zebrafischen ausreichend gro e DNA Proben um als praktikables nicht invasives Genotypisierungsverfahren dienen zu k nnen SARAH LAWTON BSF University of Manchester Oxford Road Manchester M13 9PL Korrespondenz sarah lawton manchester ac uk Abstract Der Zebrafisch dient im Labor als wertvolles Forschungsmodell Aufgrund der zunehmenden Zahl verwendeter transgener Zebrafische ist ihre Genotypisierung inzwischen zur allt glichen Notwendigkeit geworden um Fische mit den richtigen bzw den erforderlichen Genen zu identifizieren und um transgene Zuchtfischst mme zu erzeugen Bislang besteht die bew hrte Methode der Genotypisierung darin ein St ck der Schwanzflosse zwecks Probenentnahme abzuschneiden Dazu wird unter Narkose ein Teil der Flosse entfernt der gro genug ist um die zur Untersuchung und Gew hrleistung genauer Ergebnisse erforderliche Menge an DNA zu gewinnen In fr heren Studien wurden Mundschleimhautproben bei unterschiedlichen Arten Mensch S ugetiere gr ere Fischarten entnommen Dabei erfolgte ein Abstrich in der Mundh hle zwecks Gewinnung von Zellen aus denen die DNA extrahiert wird Zweck der vorliegenden Studie war es festzustellen ob Mundschleimhautproben mit der o g Methode wie bei anderen Arten auch bei Zebrafischen Danio rerio erfolgreich sein w rden Eine fr here Studie belegte dass eine erfolgreiche DNA Entnahme bei Zebrafischen mittels Abstrich von K rperschleimhaut m glich ist Damit wurde gezeigt dass alternative Methoden praktikabel sind und erwogen werden sollten Ein Vorteil der Mundschleimhautentnahme gegen ber K rperschleimhautproben besteht in einem geringeren Risiko der Probenkontaminierung Wegen der hohen Belegungsdichte bei gemeinschaftlicher Unterbringung kommt es beim Aneinanderreiben der Tiere zum Abl sen von Zellen was zur Verf lschung von Ergebnissen f hren kann Dieses Projekt wurde unter Ber cksichtigung des 3R Prinzips Verringerung Verfeinerung und Vermeidung durchgef hrt Da also ein weit verbreitetes und bew hrtes Verfahren zur Zebrafisch Genotypisierung existiert m ssen Vorschl ge anderer Methoden eine Verbesserung desselben darstellen Der Hauptvorteil des Projekts besteht in potenziell verbessertem Schutz und Wohlbefinden der Fische da mit diesem Verfahren ein operativer Schwanzflosseneingriff entf llt Stichw rter Zebrafisch DNA Proben Mundschleimhautabstrich Verfeinerung verbessertes Wohlbefinden 179
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 180 Paper Summary Translations Wie wird man AWERB Champion Bericht ber einen Workshop auf dem IAT Kongress 2017 PENNY HAWKINS 1 TANIA BODEN 2 JOLENE HAMMONDS3 und MAGGY JENNINGS1 1 2 3 Research Animals Department Science Group RSPCA Wilberforce Way Southwater West Sussex RH13 9RS UCB Celltech 208 Bath Road Slough Berkshire SL1 3WE Biological Services Unit James Black Centre King s College London 125 Coldharbour Lane London SE5 9NU Korrespondenz penny hawkins rspca org uk Abstract Der Workshop bezweckte Tiertechnikern Informationen und Beratung zu vermitteln und sie bei einer verst rkten Mitwirkung am Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body AWERB in ihrer Einrichtung zu unterst tzen und sie dazu anzuregen lokale regionale AWERB Champions zu werden Dieser Artikel behandelt zusammenfassend beide Sitzungen dieses im Rahmen des Kongresses 2017 veranstalteten Workshops Sie wurden jeweils mit einer Pr sentation von Penny Hawkins PH eingeleitet die erl uterte warum sich Mitarbeiter als Champions f r ihren AWERB einsetzen sollten und was dies in der Praxis bedeutet Darauf folgte ein Bericht von Tiertechnikern die die Bedeutung eines AWERB Champions aus ihrer Sicht darlegten Tania Boden TB trat im ersten und Jolene Hammonds JH im zweiten Workshop auf Die Veranstaltung schloss mit einer TurningPointAbstimmung und vertiefenden Modulen in Teilgruppen Insgesamt nahmen 49 Tiertechniker an den beiden Workshop Sitzungen teil 37 aus Universit ten oder Forschungsinstituten 4 aus der Industrie und 8 aus anderen Einrichtungen wie Zuchtbetrieben Sie wurden gebeten alle auf sie zutreffenden Rollen anzugeben anhand einer Liste mit den Rollen Tiertechniker von 32 Teilnehmern markiert benannter Tierschutzbeauftragter NACWO 19 benannter Schulungs und Kompetenzbeauftragter NTCO 8 benannter Informationsbeauftragter NIO 3 Lizenzinhaber der Einrichtung ELH 1 Wissenschaftler 4 und benannter Veterin r NVS 0 Knapp die H lfte der Teilnehmer waren AWERB Mitglieder davon neun seit bis zu einem Jahr neun zwischen 1 und 5 Jahren und f nf seit mehr als 5 Jahren zwei seit ber 10 Jahren Schlagw rter Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body AWERB Gremium f r Tierschutz und Ethik berpr fung Champions Tiertechniker benannte Personen 180
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 181 Paper Summary Translations Die aktuelle Lage bei Pr fungen f r Hunde und Personal f r tiergest tzte Aktivit ten und Therapien in der Tschechischen Republik und potenzielle nderungen auf dem Gebiet KRISTYNA MACHOV 1 VACLAV BITTNER2 und IVONA SVOBODOV 1 1 2 Abteilung Tierhaltung und ethologie Fakult t f r Agrarbiologie Nahrungs und Naturressourcen Tschechische Agraruniversit t Prag Prag Tschechische Republik Kam ck 129 165 00 Praha Suchdol Tschechische Republic Abteilung Mathematik und Didaktik der Mathematik Fakult t f r Natur Geisteswissenschaften und P dagogik Technische Universit t in Liberec Univerzitn n m st 1410 1 460 01 Liberec 1 Czech Republic Korrespondenz machovakristyna af czu cz Abstract Tiergest tzte Aktivit ten AAA und tiergest tzte Therapie AAT werden in der Tschechischen Republik zunehmend beliebter Verschiedene Organisationen erarbeiten eigene Pr fungen zur Ausbildung und Zulassung von Personal mit dem Ziel der Durchf hrung von AAA AAT Zweck der vorliegenden Studie war die Bewertung des Niveaus dieser Pr fungen und der Kompetenz von amtlich zur Aus bung von AAA AAT zugelassenem Personal Die Studie konzentrierte sich im Wesentlichen auf die Dauer der theoretischen Ausbildung die L nge der Umsetzung von AAA AAT Kenntnissen und das Fachwissen ber Wohlbefinden und Gesetze zum Schutz von Tieren vor Tierqu lerei Die Ergebnisse zu den Antworten der Befragten auf die meisten Fragen variierten stark Dementsprechend schl gt dieser Artikel aufgrund der signifikanten theoretischen und praktischen Unterschiede bei der AAT Umsetzung vor getrennte Pr fungen f r AAA und AAT durchzuf hren Schlagw rter Tiergest tzte Aktivit ten tiergest tzte Therapie P dagogik Pr fungen 181
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 182 Animal Technology and Welfare December 2017 CONTENU DE LA REVUE Les couvillons buccaux permettent ils de pr lever un chantillon d ADN de poisson z bre suffisant pour tre utilis s comme m thode de g notypage non invasive SARAH LAWTON BSF Universit de Manchester Oxford Road Manchester M13 9PL Correspondance sarah lawton manchester ac uk R sum Le poisson z bre est devenu un excellent mod le de recherche en laboratoire En raison de l augmentation du nombre de poissons z bres transg niques utilis s le g notypage du poisson est devenu une n cessit quotidienne pour faciliter son utilisation et identifier le poisson pr sentant les bons g nes ou les g nes n cessaires et cr er des lignes de poissons d levage modifi es g n tiquement La m thode de g notypage prouv e qui est actuellement utilis e consiste pr lever un morceau de nageoire caudale afin d obtenir un chantillon Cela implique l ablation chirurgicale d un morceau de la nageoire caudale sous anesth sie pour obtenir un chantillon d ADN suffisant permettant d effectuer une analyse et d obtenir des r sultats pr cis Dans les tudes ant rieures des couvillons buccaux ont t utilis s sur diff rentes esp ces comme les humains les mammif res et les poissons plus grands Cela implique de pr lever un chantillon avec un couvillon l int rieur de la bouche afin de recueillir les cellules qui sont utilis es pour extraire l ADN Cette tude visait d terminer si comme avec d autres esp ces d animaux les chantillons buccaux seraient un succ s en utilisant la m thode ci dessus chez le poisson z bre Danio rerio Une tude ant rieure a montr que l chantillonnage d ADN serait possible en pr levant des chantillons de mucus sur le corps du poisson z bre Cela a montr que les m thodes alternatives sont viables et qu elles doivent tre prises en consid ration Le risque de contamination de l chantillon est plus faible en utilisant des couvillons pour recueillir un chantillon buccal qu en effectuant un pr l vement de mucus sur le corps de l animal En raison de la forte densit de poissons dans leur habitat ces derniers se frottent les uns contre les autres et des cellules peuvent passer de l un l autre et entra ner des r sultats inexacts Ce projet a t men dans le cadre des principes des 3R r duction raffinement et remplacement En raison de la m thode de g notypage en place pour le poisson z bre qui est largement utilis e et fiable toute autre m thode propos e devra impliquer une am lioration Le principal avantage du projet est d am liorer potentiellement le bien tre des poissons en emp chant qu un morceau de nageoire caudale ne soit pr lev chirurgicalement Mots cl s poisson z bre ADN couvillons buccaux raffinement am lioration du bien tre 182
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 183 Paper Summary Translations Comment promouvoir l AWERB Rapport d un atelier du congr s 2017 de l IAT PENNY HAWKINS 1 TANIA BODEN 2 JOLENE HAMMONDS3 et MAGGY JENNINGS1 1 2 3 Facult des animaux de recherche Groupe scientifique RSPCA Wilberforce Way Southwater West Sussex RH13 9RS UCB Celltech 208 Bath Road Slough Berkshire SL1 3WE Unit des services biologiques Centre James Black King s College London 125 Coldharbour Lane Londres SE5 9NU Correspondance penny hawkins rspca org uk R sum L atelier visait informer et conseiller les techniciens animaliers Pour les aider s impliquer davantage aupr s de l Organe d examen thique et du bien tre des animaux Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body ou AWERB en anglais au sein de leur tablissement et Pour les encourager s engager comme promoteurs de l AWERB au niveau local L atelier s est d roul deux reprises durant le congr s 2017 et le pr sent document est un r sum des deux sessions combin es Les ateliers ont d but par une pr sentation de Penny Hawkins PH expliquant pourquoi l AWERB a besoin de promoteurs et ce que cela signifie en pratique Cela a t suivi par le point de vue d un technicien animalier expliquant son r le de promoteur de l AWERB pr sent par Tania Boden TB lors du premier atelier et par Jolene Hammonds JH lors du second Les ateliers se sont conclus par un vote d cisif et des s ances de discussion en petits groupes 49 techniciens animaliers ont assist aux deux ateliers dont 37 issus d universit s ou d instituts de recherche 4 issus du secteur professionnel et 8 d autres types d installations notamment des tablissements d levage Ils ont t invit s s lectionner tous les r les qui leur sont applicables partir d une liste incluant les r les de technicien animalier choisis par 32 participants Personne d sign e au soin et au bien tre des animaux NACWO 19 Agent de formation et de comp tences d sign NTCO 8 Responsable de l information d sign NIO 3 D tenteur d une licence d tablissement ELH 1 scientifique 4 et Chirurgien v t rinaire d sign NVS 0 Un peu moins de la moiti des participants taient membres de l AWERB neuf personnes avaient t membres pendant un an neuf pendant 1 5 ans et 5 pendant plus de 5 ans deux pendant plus de 10 ans Mots cl s Bien tre des animaux et Organe d examen thique AWERB promoteurs techniciens animaliers personnes d sign es 183
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 184 Paper Summary Translations Situation actuelle de test des chiens et de leurs ma tres pour les activit s et les th rapies assist es par l animal en R publique tch que et changements ventuels en la mati re KRISTYNA MACHOV 1 VACLAV BITTNER2 et IVONA SVOBODOV 1 1 2 Department of Husbandry and Ethology of Animals Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Kam ck 129 165 00 Praha Suchdol Czech Republic Department of Mathematics and Didactics of Mathematics Faculty of Science Humanities and Education Technical University of Liberec Univerzitn n m st 1410 1 460 01 Liberec 1 Czech Republic Correspondance penny hawkins rspca org uk R sum L atelier visait informer et conseiller les techniciens animaliers Pour les aider s impliquer davantage aupr s de l Organe d examen thique et du bien tre des animaux Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body ou AWERB en anglais au sein de leur tablissement et Pour les encourager s engager comme promoteurs de l AWERB au niveau local L atelier s est d roul deux reprises durant le congr s 2017 et le pr sent document est un r sum des deux sessions combin es Les ateliers ont d but par une pr sentation de Penny Hawkins PH expliquant pourquoi l AWERB a besoin de promoteurs et ce que cela signifie en pratique Cela a t suivi par le point de vue d un technicien animalier expliquant son r le de promoteur de l AWERB pr sent par Tania Boden TB lors du premier atelier et par Jolene Hammonds JH lors du second Les ateliers se sont conclus par un vote d cisif et des s ances de discussion en petits groupes 49 techniciens animaliers ont assist aux deux ateliers dont 37 issus d universit s ou d instituts de recherche 4 issus du secteur professionnel et 8 d autres types d installations notamment des tablissements d levage Ils ont t invit s s lectionner tous les r les qui leur sont applicables partir d une liste incluant les r les de technicien animalier choisis par 32 participants Personne d sign e au soin et au bien tre des animaux NACWO 19 Agent de formation et de comp tences d sign NTCO 8 Responsable de l information d sign NIO 3 D tenteur d une licence d tablissement ELH 1 scientifique 4 et Chirurgien v t rinaire d sign NVS 0 Un peu moins de la moiti des participants taient membres de l AWERB neuf personnes avaient t membres pendant un an neuf pendant 1 5 ans et 5 pendant plus de 5 ans deux pendant plus de 10 ans Mots cl s Bien tre des animaux et Organe d examen thique AWERB promoteurs techniciens animaliers personnes d sign es 184
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 185 December 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare INDICE DE LA REVISTA Las muestras bucales del pez cebra ofrecen suficiente cantidad de ADN para utilizarse como un m todo viable de genotipificaci n no invasivo SARAH LAWTON BSF Universidad de Manchester Oxford Road Manchester M13 9PL Correspondencia sarah lawton manchester ac uk Resumen El pez cebra se ha convertido en un valioso modelo de investigaci n en los laboratorios Debido al incremento del uso del pez cebra transg nico la genotipificaci n del pez ahora es una necesidad habitual para facilitar su uso a fin de identificar el pez con los genes correctos y necesarios y para crear l neas gen ticamente alteradas de cr a de peces Actualmente el m todo probado de genotipificaci n conlleva la toma de una muestra de la aleta caudal Esto requiere la extracci n quir rgica de un trozo de la aleta caudal con anestesia que permite obtener una muestra considerable del pez para poder obtener suficiente ADN y as permitir la realizaci n del an lisis con el objetivo de obtener unos resultados precisos En estudios anteriores se tomaron muestras bucales de varias especies como por ejemplo humanos mam feros y especies de peces de gran tama o Esto conlleva la toma de una muestra del interior de la boca para recoger c lulas que se utilizan para la extracci n del ADN Este estudio trata de determinar si tal y como sucede con otras especies animales las muestras bucales resultar an fruct feras al utilizar el m todo mencionado anteriormente en el pez cebra Danio rerio Un estudio anterior demostr que pueden conseguirse muestras fruct feras de ADN recogiendo muestras de las mucosidades del pez cebra Esto puso de manifiesto que m todos alternativos son viables y deber an considerarse Una de las ventajas de utilizar muestras bucales en comparaci n a muestras de mucosas es que el riesgo de contaminaci n de la muestra es inferior Debido a la gran densidad del agrupamiento comunitario los modelos pueden rozarse con los dem s lo cual hace que las c lulas se descamen produciendo de este modo unos resultados imprecisos Este proyecto se llev a cabo respetando los principios de las 3R Reducci n Refinamiento y Reemplazo Debido a que el m todo de genotipificaci n del pez cebra es fiable y utilizado ampliamente en la actualidad cualquier otro m todo propuesto tendr a que ser mejorado La principal ventaja del proyecto ser probablemente la mejora del bienestar de los peces ya que no se tendr que extraer quir rgicamente ninguna parte de la aleta caudal Palabras clave Pez cebra muestra de ADN muestra bucal refinamiento bienestar mejorado 185
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 186 Paper Summary Translations C mo ser promotor de AWERB informe sobre un taller en el Congreso de IAT 2017 PENNY HAWKINS 1 TANIA BODEN 2 JOLENE HAMMONDS3 y MAGGY JENNINGS1 1 2 3 Research Animals Department Science Group RSPCA Wilberforce Way Southwater West Sussex RH13 9RS UCB Celltech 208 Bath Road Slough Berkshire SL1 3WE Biological Services Unit James Black Centre King s College London 125 Coldharbour Lane Londres SE5 9NU Correspondance penny hawkins rspca org uk Resumen Este taller se dirigi a los tecn logos de animales con informaci n y asesoramiento Para ayudarles a participar m s en el Comit de tica y bienestar de los animales AWERB en su establecimiento y para ayudarles a convertirse en promotores locales de AWERB Se llev a cabo dos veces durante el Congreso de 2017 y este informe es un resumen de ambas sesiones combinadas Los talleres comenzaron con una presentaci n de Penny Hawkins PH explicando los motivos por los que hay una necesidad de que la gente promueva sus AWERB y lo que ello representa en la pr ctica A esto le sigui una presentaci n donde se explicaba la perspectiva de tecn logos de animales a la hora de promover AWERB dirigida por Tania Boden TB en el primer taller y Jolene Hammonds JH en el segundo Los talleres concluyeron con votos sobre puntos de inflexi n y sesiones de debate Durante los dos talleres asistieron 49 tecn logos de animales 37 de ellos de universidades e instituciones de investigaci n 4 del sector industrial y 8 de otros tipos de instalaciones incluidos centros de cr a Se les pidi que seleccionaran todas las funciones pertinentes de una lista que inclu a las funciones de los tecn logos de animales seleccionadas por 32 participantes Named Animal Care and Welfare Office NACWO 19 Named Training and Competency Officer NTCO 8 Named Information Officer NIO 3 Establishment Licence Holder ELH 1 cient fico 4 y Named Veterinary Surgeon NVS 0 Casi la mitad de los participantes eran miembros de AWERB de ellos nueve hab an sido miembros durante menos de un a o nueve entre 1 y 5 a os y cinco durante m s de 5 a os dos durante m s de 10 a os Palabras clave Comit de tica y bienestar de los animales AWERB promotores tecn logos de animales personas nominadas 186
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 187 Paper Summary Translations La situaci n actual en las pruebas con perros y adiestradores para terapias y actividades con ayuda animal en la Rep blica Checa y posibles cambios en este campo KRISTYNA MACHOV 1 VACLAV BITTNER2 y IVONA SVOBODOV 1 1 2 Departmento de Cr a y Etolog a de Animales Facultad de Agrobiolog a Alimentaci n y Recursos Naturales Universidad Checa de Ciencias Naturales de Praga Praga Rep blica Checa Kam ck 129 165 21 Praga 6 Departmento de Matem ticas y Did ctica de las Matem ticas Facultad de Ciencias Humanidades y Docencia Universidad T cnica de Liberec Univerzitn n m st 1410 1 460 01 Liberec 1 Correspondencia machovakristyna af czu cz Resumen Las Actividades con Ayuda Animal AAA y las Terapias con Ayuda Animal TAA son cada vez m s populares en la Rep blica Checa Son varias las organizaciones que preparan sus propias pruebas para formar y permitir a los adiestradores realizar AAA TAA El objetivo de este estudio era evaluar el nivel de estas pruebas y las t cnicas de los adiestradores autorizados oficialmente para llevar a cabo AAA TAA El estudio se centr principalmente en la duraci n de la formaci n te rica el periodo de implementaci n de AAA TAA y el conocimiento espec fico sobre bienestar y leyes para proteger a los animales contra el maltrato Los resultados de las respuestas de los participantes a la mayor a de preguntas variaron significativamente Por ello en este art culo se hace una propuesta para dividir el examen de las pruebas para AAA y TAA debido la significativa diferencia te rica y pr ctica de la implementaci n de TAA Palabras clave Actividades con Ayuda Animal Terapias con Ayuda Animal docencia pruebas 187
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 188 Animal Technology and Welfare December 2017 INDICE DELLA REVISTA I tamponi orali dei pesci zebra forniscono un campione di DNA sufficiente da usare come metodo non invasivo valido per la genotipizzazione SARAH LAWTON BSF University of Manchester Oxford Road Manchester M13 9PL Corrispondenza sarah lawton manchester ac uk Abstract Il pesce zebra ha assunto un valido ruolo come modello di ricerca nei laboratori Grazie a un maggior utilizzo dei pesci zebra transgenici la genotipizzazione del pesce diventata una necessit volta a facilitarne l uso con l intento di identificare il pesce avente i geni corretti o necessari e di creare linee geneticamente alterate di pesci riproduttori Attualmente il metodo comprovato di genotipizzazione implica un taglio alla pinna caudale del pesce per ottenere il campione Viene attuata la rimozione chirurgica di un pezzo della pinna sotto anestesia che permette di ottenere un campione sufficientemente adeguato e di avere a disposizione abbastanza DNA da consentirne l analisi con risultati accurati Nel corso di studi precedenti i campioni di saliva riguardavano altre specie ovvero umani mammiferi e specie di pesci pi grandi Tale procedura prevede l uso di un tampone all interno della bocca che raccoglie le cellule utilizzate per l estrazione del DNA Questo studio si proposto di stabilire se al pari di altre specie animali i campioni orali avrebbero conseguito i risultati desiderati con l uso del metodo summenzionato nei pesci zebra Danio rerio Uno studio precedente ha mostrato che un campionamento del DNA efficace era possibile con la raccolta di campioni dal muco del pesce zebra Si cos confermata la validit del ricorso a metodi alternativi che dovrebbero sempre essere presi in considerazione Un vantaggio dei tamponi orali rispetto al muco un rischio pi basso di contaminazione del campione A causa dell elevata densit della stabulazione comune gli animali si strofinano tra loro e le cellule si staccano portando a risultati poco accurati Questo progetto stato condotto secondo i principi delle 3R ovvero Riduzione Reduction Perfezionamento Refinement e Sostituzione Replacement Dal momento che si fa gi ampiamente uso di un metodo affidabile di genotipizzazione del pesce zebra altre proposte dovrebbero generare risultati migliori Il principale beneficio apportato dal progetto sar un benessere potenzialmente migliore per il pesce poich non sar necessario rimuovere chirurgicamente un pezzo della pinna caudale Parole chiave pesce zebra campionamento del DNA tamponi orali perfezionamento potenziamento del benessere 188
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 189 Paper Summary Translations Come diventare un paladino dell AWERB resoconto di un workshop presso il Congresso IAT 2017 PENNY HAWKINS 1 TANIA BODEN 2 JOLENE HAMMONDS3 e MAGGY JENNINGS1 1 2 3 Research Animals Department Science Group RSPCA Wilberforce Way Southwater West Sussex RH13 9RS Regno Unito UCB Celltech 208 Bath Road Slough Berkshire SL1 3WE Regno Unito Biological Services Unit James Black Centre King s College London 125 Coldharbour Lane Londra SE5 9NU Corrispondenza penny hawkins rspca org uk Abstract Il workshop si proponeva di fornire agli stabularisti informazioni e consigli per aiutarli ad accrescere il loro coinvolgimento nell Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body AWERB della loro istituzione e esortarli a diventare paladini locali dell AWERB Ha avuto luogo in due occasioni nel corso dell edizione 2017 del Congresso e questo articolo racchiude una sintesi congiunta di entrambe le sessioni I seminari hanno aperto i battenti con una presentazione di Penny Hawkins PH che ha spiegato perch importante diventare paladini del proprio AWERB e quali sono le implicazioni pratiche Quindi seguita la testimonianza di una stabularista sul suo ruolo di paladina dell AWERB presentata da Tania Boden TB nel primo workshop e da Jolene Hammonds JH nel secondo I workshop si sono conclusi con un voto cruciale e sessioni collaterali Ai due seminari hanno partecipato 49 stabularisti 37 provenienti da universit e istituti di ricerca 4 dal settore industriale e 8 da altri tipi di strutture tra cui centri di allevamento stato chiesto loro di scegliere tutti i ruoli che li descrivevano selezionandoli da un elenco che includeva le mansioni di stabularista opzione scelta da 32 partecipanti Named Animal Care and Welfare Office NACWO 19 Named Training and Competency Officer NTCO 8 Named Information Officer NIO 3 Establishment Licence Holder ELH 1 scienziato 4 e Named Veterinary Surgeon NVS 0 Poco meno della met dei partecipanti era un membro dell AWERB di essi nove erano stati membri per un massimo di un anno altri nove per 1 5 anni e cinque per oltre 5 anni due per pi di 10 anni Parole chiave Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body AWERB paladini stabularisti responsabili specifici 189
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 190 Paper Summary Translations Contesto attuale dei test per cani e addestratori per attivit e terapie assistite con gli animali nella Repubblica Ceca e potenziali cambiamenti in campo KRISTYNA MACHOV 1 VACLAV BITTNER2 e IVONA SVOBODOV 1 1 2 Department of Husbandry and Ethology of Animals Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Kam ck 129 165 00 Praha Suchdol Repubblica Ceca Department of Mathematics and Didactics of Mathematics Faculty of Science Humanities and Education Technical University of Liberec Univerzitn n m st 1410 1 460 01 Liberec 1 Republica Ceca Corrispondenza machovakristyna af czu cz Abstract Le Attivit Assistite con gli Animali AAA e le Terapie Assistite con gli Animali TAA stanno assumendo sempre pi popolarit nella Repubblica Ceca Varie organizzazioni preparano i loro test per educare e consentire agli addestratori di portare avanti le AAA TAA Questo studio aveva come obiettivo la valutazione del livello di tali test e delle competenze degli addestratori ufficialmente autorizzati a utilizzare le AAA TAA Lo studio si concentrato principalmente sulla durata del corso teorico sul periodo di implementazione delle AAA TAA e sulle conoscenze specifiche in campo di benessere e normative volte a proteggere gli animali contro la crudelt I risultati basati sulle risposte degli intervistati alla maggioranza di domande hanno mostrato grandi differenze Di conseguenza questo articolo propone di separare i test per le AAA e quelli per le TAA per via della significativa differenza teorica e pratica nell implementazione delle TAA Parole chiave Attivit Assistite con gli Animali Terapie Assistite con gli Animali educazione test 190
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 December 2017 11 46 Page 191 Animal Technology and Welfare TECH 2 TECH Haven t the time to write a paper but want to get something published Then read on This section offers readers the opportunity to submit informal contributions about any aspects of animal technology Comments observations descriptions of new or refined techniques new products or equipment old products or equipment adapted to new use any subject that may be useful to technicians in other institutions Submissions can be presented as technical notes and do not need to be structured and can be as short or as long as is necessary Accompanying illustrations and or photos should be high resolution NB Descriptions of new products or equipment submitted by manufacturers are welcome but should be a factual account of the product However the Editorial Board gives no warranty as to the accuracy or fitness for purpose of the product The curious tale of Axolotl enrichment EMMA BILLINGHAM University of Nottingham Bio Support Unit Queens Medical Centre Derby Road Nottingham NG7 2UH Correspondence emma billingham nottingham ac uk Adapted from a poster displayed at IAT Congress 2017 Introduction Axolotls can be used in scientific research to provide fertilised embryos for investigations into the genetic pathways controlling stem cell development Breeding animals are housed for several years and environmental enrichment is required to improve welfare by providing axolotl s greater choice within their aquatic environment Therefore there is a need to investigate the addition of enrichment Although research has proven that enrichment creates positive behaviours for rodents and other species and research has been attained for Zebrafish enrichment no conclusive results exist for axolotls The current study has examined the effect of different types of enrichment including rocks plants plastic shelters compact discs CD on a range of behavioural measures The objective was to understand if enrichment is engaged with and to observe behaviours which are exhibited in the environment by axolotls Key words Axolotols Environmental Enrichment Behaviour Picture 1 Axolotls in laboratory environment Study detail and method The laboratory environment is far from the natural habitat of the axolotl They originate from Mexico where they can be found in dull murky lakes which are glacier fed so water temperatures are cool and contain shelters rocks and plant life Therefore to attempt to replicate this environment as well as keep in line with refinement aspect of the 3Rs and Home Office criteria a behavioural investigation for preference of four different enrichments was carried out 20 individually housed axolotls 10 females 10 males individually selected were placed into the behavioural tank firstly for 30 minute habituation with no enrichment then 1 191
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 192 Tech 2 Tech hour 30 minutes behavioural study The full 2 hours were recorded using a video camera After the behavioural experiment the individuals were placed back into the home tanks Axolotls were only used on the day that they were to be cleaned out so the same amount of stress would be exhibited Not only this but the water from the home tank was used in the behavioural tank on the same basis as moving used bedding into a clean rat or mouse cage After each axolotl was removed from the behavioural tank the enrichment and tank were disinfected with Milton s solution to ensure that the scent of one axolotl did not affect the other axolotls Enrichment included See below image Brown rock similar to one they would have in the wild Blue tunnel as axolotls will normally have sheltered areas to hide in Compact Disc CD this was used out of interest as it is used as enrichment with other animals Artificial plant found in aquariums and which imitate natural environment Picture 3 Set up of enrichment Behaviours were recorded by intentional interactions with the enrichment as well as length of time of each interaction and any additional comments Intentional is seen as an interaction with any enrichment which is not just brushing past it through movement Data was analysed using an Ordinary Two Way Anova test and Turkey s Multiple Comparison Test Results There is a significant difference in female preference to the enrichment for the tunnel and all 3 other enrichments found in the comparison tests F 3 36 8 044 P
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 193 Tech 2 Tech Male Interactions F 0 0475 F 0 0489 F 0 0142 F 0 0202 F 0 295 F 0 0149 P
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 Tech 2 Tech seen where they manipulate the enrichment such as moving the CD so they could sit under it and against the wall These behaviours were generally longer interactions which may be because that they are not an energetic species and that they are ambush predators therefore they conserve energy There was only one male axolotl which showed no interactions with any enrichment Discussion conclusion Different types of behaviours were seen ranging from inquisitive explorative behaviours to manipulating the enrichment It could therefore be concluded that enrichment should serve two purposes to allow the axolotl to behave more naturally As axolotls are not only housed singly but also in groups this should also be investigated Further research needs to be undertaken to discover whether the enrichment causes stress to the axolotl which could be attained via stress hormone corticosterone H0 is rejected as the tunnel is significant The tunnel is the most appropriate enrichment and therefore should be introduced into their environment Acknowledgements Professor Andrew Johnson Neil Yates Sally Wilford Ian Devonshire Anne Marie Kelly Melissa Bean and Thomas Leivers Reference 1 Holmes A M Emmans C J Jones N Coleman R and Smith T E 2016 Impact of tank background on the welfare of the African Clawed frogs Xenopus laevis Daudin Applied Animal Behaviour Science 185 pp 131 136 194 11 46 Page 194
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 December 2017 11 46 Page 195 Animal Technology and Welfare Occupational burnout a discussion by the Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum AMANDA CARLSON 1 JACQUELINE SCHWARTZ 2 KAILE BENNETT 3 KRISTINA CARTER 4 MEAGAN MCCALLUM5 and VIKTOR REINHARDT6 1 2 3 4 5 6 amanda carlson abbvie com Abbvie Inc 1 N Waukegan Road AP13 North Chicago IL 60064 USA jbeth schwartz yahoo ca kailejbennett gmail com 487 Shurs Lane Philadelphia PA 19128 USA Meagan mccallum bms com 1 Squibb Drive New Brunswick NJ 08901 USA 6014 Palmer Drive Weed CA 96094 USA Correspondence viktor cot net A transcript of a Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum LAREF discussion Summary When we work with for animals on a daily basis we are likely to get attached to them and make sure that they do not suffer The problem with this attachment is that we also have to face the fact that all animals even those with whom we have developed an emotional bond will be euthanised How do we deal with this situation without getting frustrated and experiencing compassion fatigue Reinhardt This is a great subject and one that I have surely encountered in my 32 years of being associated with the research field I almost left a few times especially when we used to have dogs It is not that I think dogs are a higher species and more deserving than rodents it is just that they were here for quite a while and regularly required more intensive nursing care I spent more time with these dogs than my own one at home and of course would get very attached to them It was hard to say good bye when the time came but I knew that it had to be and that it was for a greater good This did not stop the crying and sadness but I looked at that as a natural part of the whole process I have been fortunate to never pass over the line of the natural grieving process and have always bounced back again to continue serving the animals who have given their lives for the biomedical research endeavour It was clear to me that I had made a difference in their lives by giving them the best care possible while they were with us Schwartz It is difficult especially when it is an animal like a dog or a primate whom I have cared for every day for many months and have emotionally bonded with I keep telling myself that all these animals are purpose bred which implies that they are here to very importantly contribute to medical research studies which could be terminal It helps to talk to my co workers who have the same feelings as I do In our enrichment kitchen we have a small memorial area where we write the names of some of our animals that we have grown attached to I do my best to make sure that they had the best life possible while they were serving a greater purpose I find that it is quite fulfilling working with colleagues who also genuinely care for our animals and provide the best welfare and life possible while they are with us Carlson I have definitely had to deal with this rather disturbing situation too As a person who deeply cares and is passionate about animal welfare I think it s very natural to feel some sor t of sadness and or compassion fatigue when animals are euthanised after they have ser ved a scientific research purpose Unfortunately it is looked down upon in some facilities when you show signs of sadness when such animals are killed You get hit with well that s part of the job or these are research animals not pets or even take your emotions out of it All these are extremely insensitive and dishear tening statements and judgments of healthy humane feelings Carter Many scientists have been conditioned by the scientific establishment very often also by their fathers to 195
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 Tech 2 Tech negate feelings and emotions You are not supposed to have feelings and emotions so you had better overlook and suppress them Not only animals we care for but also other humans including the scientists pay a high price for this traditional movement against natural feelings It is very tempting to judge scientists who negate feelings of sadness or compassion but we must acknowledge that nobody including the biomedical investigator is responsible for his or her conditioning To make the researcher gently aware of the negative impact of this insensitivity on staff morale is one possible way to change the situation provided the researcher is willing to listen Reinhardt Unfortunately I do not have the solution to this problem All I know is that it would be fair and reasonable if researchers and administrators of biomedical research facilities could at least make an attempt to be a little bit more sensitive and acknowledge the fact that the people who work day in and day out with and for their animals do have human feelings and emotions and humane concerns for animals Carter That is one of the hardest things in what we all do isn t it Getting those in charge to stop and think for a minute and tr y to see things from a different perspective I have for several years now been on the other side of the fence as the principal investigator who also performs the training of her study animals performs all the dosing and sample collections and when necessary euthanises her animals I have control of the reins from start to finish with each one of my studies it helps me greatly to be able to thank each and every one of my animals for the service they helped to provide I really do talk to each rat and say thank you on every study I have When I have to euthanise my rats I thank each and every one of them one last time it helps me deal with the given situation McCallum I know colleagues who have quit because they could no longer deal with their sadness and helplessness when animals were put down with whom they had worked for an extended period of time Maybe it would be indicated to establish support groups that can help us cope with these feelings Carter I started a peer based compassion fatigue support group at my facility We meet once a month and allow people to express their feelings and help with self care tips and ways to cope We also work closely with the counselling department in our university and have a few counsellors who are specifically earmarked for help with laboratory animal compassion fatigue Bennett 196 11 46 Page 196
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 197 December 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare AS ET SPECIAL TRAVEL BURSARY COMPETITION ESSAYS The Animals in Science Education Trust AS ET is a charity registered under UK Charity law with the objective of advancing education and promoting excellence in the care and welfare of animals used in science The essays included in this issue were amongst those submitted for the fifth AS ET Special Travel Bursary Competition to attend the 2017 AALAS National Meeting in Austin Texas USA The intention of the bursary is to encourage junior animal technical staff to extend their knowledge and experience by attending the largest animal technology meeting in the UK More information including details of how you can support AS ET can be found at http www animalsinscience educationtrust org uk Applications were invited from animal technical staff based in the UK or the Republic of Ireland who are over the age of 21 below the level of Facility Manager and who have never attended an AALAS National Meeting before The successful applicant is selected on the basis of a 1500 word essay on a prescribed subject The 2017 subject was Are the special considerations afforded to cats dogs primates and equidae under the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 as amended ethically scientifically or legally justified KAREN DUNFORD UCL Zebrafish Facility Division of Biosciences University College London Gower Street London WC1E 6BT Correspondence k dunford ucl ac uk Winning entry of the AS ET Special Travel Bursary 2017 The use of animals in scientific procedures is regulated through the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 ASPA whilst this covers all protected animals any living vertebrate other than man and any living cephalopod ASPA 1986 s 1 1 1 special considerations are afforded to cats dogs equidae and primates ASPA 1986 s 5C 4 1 and 4 1 This sets ASPA apart from the more general animal legislation such as the Animal Welfare Act 2006 2 The 197
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 198 AS ET Special Bursary Competition Essays justification for these special considerations should be ethically scientifically and legally rooted however since the only species covered are companion animals and primates 3 4 5 6 our closest animal relatives it is possible that these considerations within the law are a way to placate those within the public sphere who are concerned about the use of animals within science Ethics in its subjective nature can arrive at contradictor y conclusions This is true for the considerations within ASPA according to Utilitarianism these are unethical considerations that are borderline speciesist yet within the 3Rs paradigm it is a sound ethical decision Additionally there is no overwhelming scientific evidence that states that the required special considerations are necessary in fact most of the considerations can be applied to all protected animals Whether or not there is a legal justification is a circular argument it is in ASPA therefore it is legal However there is no other legal precedent for these considerations The special considerations set out in ASPA are divided between those for cats dogs and equidae and those for primates with some overlap Project licences for the former must fulfil Condition 9 under Schedule 2B ASPA 1986 s 5C 4 4 1 justifying that these species are the only models possible for the programme of work or that other models are not practical to obtain Primates in Conditions 1 8 under Schedule 2B are only considered to be a justifiable model if either the programme of work concerns a human disease that is considered to be life threatening or to have clinical expressions deemed to be debilitating or if primates are the only model possible for the programme of work ASPA 1986 s 5C 4 1 3 1 Additionally primates are only permitted to be bred if an approved breeding strategy is in place ASPA 1986 s 10 1 7 1 For cats dogs and primates an individual history file is required for animals attached to a licence These must include the individual animal s identity date and place of birth details of if the animal was bred for procedural use as well as if they were used in any procedure information concerning the animal s reproductive history social and veterinary information and for primates whether they were bred in captivity ASPA 1986 s 10 1 9 1 Primates have the further constraint of having to be recorded separately in annual statistics ASPA 1986 21A 2 1 The main underpinning ethical paradigm of ASPA is a combination of Utilitarianism and the 3Rs The main tenets of the former are typically reduced to the quote the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few this is a relatively true representation but it does exclude the concept that the pursuit of happiness or of good things is ethically right and conversely any pursuit that leads to suffering is incorrect 7 Utilitarianism then should not be interpreted as the 198 needs of the many invariably outweighing the few but the consideration of the few especially if suffering is involved should always be compared to the many if the suffering of the few is too great it can outweigh the needs of many Within ASPA harm benefit analyses are used to assess if any presence of suffering is outweighed by any benefits that may be derived from the programme of work ASPA 1986 5B 3 1 7 Using this framework alone the use of animals of any species must be fully assessed to determine if the suffering that may arise is not as significant as the benefits that would theoretically be obtained from the programme of work However the special considerations for cats dogs equidae and primates state otherwise these models are only to be used if no other model is appropriate regardless of the state of suffering or in some cases obtaining another species is not practical Primates have a further constraint of only being considered for a model if the programme of work is for life threatening or debilitating human diseases This consideration implies that whilst any suffering experienced by these four species is deemed to be outweighed by the potential benefits of the programme of work any suffering that these species may experience is greater than the suffering experienced by any other potential model This does not align with the tenets of Utilitarianism which does not make a distinction between individuals or in this case different species 8 This does however align with the tenets of the 3Rs which states all animals users must endeavour to reduce the amount of animals in use refine any procedures in order to lower or prevent pain suffering distress and lasting harm and replace animals with non animal models According to ASPA using less sentient animals is an acceptable method of refinement and is a standard condition for a project licence 9 Under this framework alone restricting the use of cats dogs equidae and primates is ethical as these animals are considered at least by the general public to be of a high sentience Whilst there are a myriad of investigations that benefit animals 10 11 many programmes of work are translational to humans and require an analogous model 12 Determining which model to use must be scientifically justified in America the National Research Council advises to weigh various elements including the level of analogousness biological factors as well as ethical ramifications 12 If then there are restrictions in place for the four species outside of ethical ramifications what are the scientific constraints It is required that other species must be used before these four yet there is evidence that other commonly used models may be significantly different enough from humans to make the use of these models unethical 13 12 The legal justification for the special consideration of the aforementioned four species is circular the
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 199 AS ET Special Bursary Competition Essays inclusion of these species as those that require special considerations makes the restrictions on these species legally justified However the initial inclusion of of these four species it can be argued is a reflection of public perception rather than one with legal precedent as these are common companion animals and our closest animal relatives 14 The legislative history of animal rights at least in the UK is a history of public perception of animals the legal justification of the special considerations is another step in that tradition Within the animal rights activists literature dogs cats and primates feature prominently on the Cruelty Free International website just over half of the animal photos contain dogs cats and primates 15 Other pieces of legislation for the protection animals do not afford special considerations for these animals within the Animal Welfare Act 2006 the only significant section dealing with these species is the docking of dog tails Animal Welfare Act 2006 s 6 2 DEFRA supplies Codes of Practice for the welfare of cats dogs equidae and primates Animal Welfare Act 2006 3 4 5 6 indicating that these are species of concern legally however this only indicates that this is true as they are species of concern within public sentiment rather than ethical or scientific concerns Furthermore the individual history files as a special consideration are not legally justified at least as a special criterion for using that species many animal users already record the same information for other species For example Standard Condition 20 for PIL holders dictates that records must be kept for all animals used in procedures Home Office 2014 107 9 as does Standard Condition 8 2 for PEL holders Home Office 2014 103 9 additionally Standard Condition 14 states that records of animal health must be kept Home Office 2014 104 9 These extra conditions for record keeping are not dissimilar to the records necessary for other species under ASPA Under ASPA the use of cats dogs equidae and primates must be assessed in a different way to other species this special consideration is neither scientifically nor legally justified and is instead a reflection of the ethical framework of the public sphere According to the 3Rs as one ethical paradigm on which ASPA hinges the use of lower sentient animals is an appropriate refinement and therefore these considerations are ethical sound However under Utilitarianism the other main ethical paradigm of ASPA it is not This also matches with the public opinion on the use of animals in science which is the main basis of the legal justification on the inclusion within the legislation 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 s attachment_data file 614606 ConsolidatedASPA1Jan 2013 pdf Accessed 12 June 1017 Animal Welfare Act 2006 c 45 Available at http www legislation gov uk ukpga 2006 45 pdfs ukp ga_20060045_en pdf Accessed 12 6 17 Animal Welfare Act 2006 c 45 Code of practice for the welfare of dogs pdf Available at https www gov uk government publications code of practice for the welfareof dogs Accessed 12 6 17 Animal Welfare Act 2006 c 45 Code of practice for the welfare of cats pdf Available at https www gov uk government publications code of practice for the welfare of cats Accessed 12 6 17 Animal Welfare Act 2006 c 45 Code of practice for the welfare of horses ponies donkeys and their hybrids pdf Available at https www gov uk government publications code of practice for the welfare of horses ponies donkeysand their hybrids Accessed 12 6 17 Animal Welfare Act 2006 c 45 Code of practice for the welfare of privately kept non human primates pdf Available at https www gov uk government publications code of practice for the welfare of privately kept non humanprimates Accessed 12 6 17 Dolan K P 2007 The Ethical Implications of the Use of Animals in Scientific Procedures Manual of Animal Technology Barnett S ed Oxford Blackwell Publishing pp 326 347 Animal Ethics 2017 Utilitarianism online Available at http www animal ethics org utilitarianism Accessed 12 6 17 Home Office 2014 Guidance on the Operation of the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 Dandy Booksellers Sneddon L U 2009 Pain Perception in Fish Indicators and Endpoints ILAR 50 4 pp 338 342 Sneddon L U 2011 Pain Perception in Fish Evidence and the Implications for the Use of Fish Journal of Consciousness Studies 18 9 10 pp 209 229 Wall R J and Shani M 2008 Are animals as good as we think Theriogenology 69 1 pp 2 9 Renn C L and Dorsey S G 2011 From mouse to man The efficacy of animal models of human disease in genetic and genomic research Annual Review of Nursing Research 29 pp 99 112 National Centre for 3Rs Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs Medical Research Council Natural Environment Research Council and Wellcome Trust 2013 Responsibility in the use of animals in bioscience research Expectations of the major research council and charitable funding bodies s l s n Cruelty Free International 2017 Cruelty Free International online Available at https www cruelty freeinternational org Accessed 12 6 17 References 1 Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 c 14 Available at https www gov uk government uploads system upload 199
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 200 Animal Technology and Welfare December 2017 Are the special considerations afforded to cats dogs primates and equidae under the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 as amended ethically scientifically or legally justified LOUIS KITCHENHAM Sainsbury Wellcome Centre 25 Howland Street Fitzrovia London W1T 4JG Correspondence louis kitchenham ucl ac uk obser vation supporting the contention that some species are more at risk of suffering arguably justifying their protection As an animal technician of several years I have had numerous debates with people who fundamentally disagree with my profession Animal research is a topic which evokes strong emotional reactions and can be an incredibly divisive issue For many the grievances typically boil down to one somewhat misled idea animals being used in research are suffering for the benefit of humans The establishment of the Animals Scientific Procedures Act in 1986 and the EU Directive of 2010 ensures that the use of animals in research is tightly regulated and that any suffering is minimised However there are distinctions between animals used within the confines of a laboratory setting A specific section of the Act states a license to work with some species cats dogs primates and equidae will not be considered until animals of no other species are suitable for the purposes of the programme 1 It can be inferred from this piece of legislation that some species of animal are considered worthier of human protection than others The question then becomes why are these species deserving of ensconcement within governmental ruling while others are available for use in all manner of scientific work The legal implications of including these animals in research would also make it difficult to justify their use The insertion of the 3Rs within the EU Directive of 2010 made it a legal obligation that any research carried out on animals must adhere to three principles Reduction Refinement and Replacement 3 This was an application of the theories of W M S Russell and R L Burch developed in 1959 whereby the number of animals used in research must be reduced to the lowest level possible without affecting the scientific results the modification of any procedures so as to minimise the pain suffering and distress with the goal being that of Replacement methods strategies or approaches which do not involve the use of live animals 3 Consequently it becomes increasingly problematic to justify both legally and ethically the inclusion of these species due to the legislative push towards reducing all animals in research alongside minimising suffering Some species have a higher level of sentience than others an ability to reason form relationships and perceive the world around them This has been evident in non human primates in a variety of studies including a 2010 study investigating the effects of early traumatic experience on vocal expressions of emotions in rhesus macaques The vocalisations of two groups of macaques were considered over the first two years of life results indicating that traumatic experience in the first few months of life can have long term effects on vocal emotional expression 2 Such evidence has been used to demonstrate how some species of animals have a high degree of emotional intelligence that can be irrevocably damaged by trauma an Certain species can be incredibly useful for very specific research The Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1981 was awarded for discoveries concerning information processing in the visual system in which cats were used extensively 4 The specificity of this research would make a justifiable argument for this species being utilised it may not have been possible to achieve the results with any other animal This would make it an exceptional case like those stated in the Act and it is this argument which resonates when considering these animals within research If it is possible to garner the same scientific results from a species which is less sentient and arguably less at risk of suffering it is difficult to see justification for their 200
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 201 AS ET Special Bursary Competition Essays use Recent years have seen huge advancements in the creation of transgenic mouse lines whereby genes and gene expression can be manipulated to suit a scientific goal meaning the use of most other animals has become rather obsolete Of course there are exceptional cases but it is widely accepted that the mouse model is now a powerful and indispensable experimental model in fundamental and medical research 5 lightly given the idiom s adoption into common parlance As such societies judgement can be clouded when considering which animals are suitable for scientific research We do not wish to carry out tests on pets so we validate our decisions not to use them While this may be understandable sentiment some may consider it unjustifiable when considering the numerous other species considered by default unworthy of such protection Additionally the simple task of housing and caring for these larger animals make it difficult to justify their inclusion in most project licences The NC3R s website offers the minimum space requirements to house cats within a laboratory 6 The notion that intelligent animals are more at risk of suffering than their less intelligent counterparts is also being challenged Marc Bekoff of the University of Colorado argues that humans have taken a somewhat speciest view of the issue because some of the lower animals do not express cognitive thought or rationalisation in the same way that higher species do they must not therefore suffer or feel emotions in the same way Bekoff challenges this arguing we share with other mammals and vertebrates the same areas of the brain that are important for consciousness and processing emotions He points to numerous studies concluding that humans are not unique in possessing the neurological substrates that generate consciousness Non human animals also possess these neurological substrates 10 If this is to be believed a substantial por tion of the argument surrounding special considerations within the Act cannot be justified as sentience and an ability to process complex emotions is present in all species Floor area Shelves m2 excluding shelves m2 Minimum for 1 adult cat For each additional cat add Height m 1 5 0 5 2 0 75 0 25 With the introduction of Individually Ventilated Cages IVCs it is possible to house up to 1280 cages in a fully functioning mouse room containing sixteen IVC racks Each of the cages could potentially house five animals meaning that up to 6400 mice could be kept in a space that comparatively an incredibly small number of cats could be housed The scientific advantages of this are clear more animals mean more control studies a wider range of results and in turn more applicable science It can conversely be argued that the special considerations afforded to these species are often driven by societal notions that these are companion animals According to a Pet Food Manufacturers Association sur vey taken in 2016 there are approximately 8 5 million pet dogs in Britain and 7 5 million cats 7 Together these animals account for over 40 of all pets owned a huge percentage emphasising the regard in which these animals are held Similarly the British Horse Society estimate there to be 1 million horses in Britain 8 Whilst less in number when factoring in the steep increase in costs and dedication required to raise and care for a horse one could infer a significant and deep rooted view of these are animals as loved and treasured by society We as humans project our own feelings onto animals we encounter as pets or those perceived as having human like traits Man s best friend coined by King Frederick of Prussia in 1789 illustrates the long history of society s connection with dogs 9 While this may seem a trivial turn of phrase its significance should not be taken Logically I find it difficult to justify why these animals should be afforded special consideration The theory of Utilitarianism developed by Jeremy Bentham in the 18th century is stated as an argument for the justification of animals in research actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority If this idea is to be actioned it should apply to the full range of species open to us without exception especially when considering all animals have the capacity to feel think and suffer However after years in this profession I wholeheartedly believe in adhering to the principles set out with the 3Rs I strive to reach a point whereby the minimum number of animals possible are used within research and I do not believe that this will be achieved through the inclusion of more species into research Alongside this there is the inescapable truth that I personally would not feel comfortable working with these animals in research It is not something that I can rationalise with any great degree of success Perhaps I also adhere to the notion of these animals being pets I am currently and have always been a pet owner and do not feel the same emotional pull towards rodents or fish as I do cats and dogs I believe that the law as it stands is correct and some species are deserving of special considerations While this can be justified legally scientifically and ethically the roots of this issue grow much deeper into our current societies understanding and relationship with animals 201
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 AS ET Special Bursary Competition Essays References 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 1986 Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 Retrieved from Legislation http www legislation gov uk ukpga 1986 14 Maestripieri T J 2010 1 December Effects of Early Traumatic Experience on Vocal Expression of Emotion in Young Female Rhesus Macaques Retrieved from NCBI Commision E 2016 December 19th Retrieved from http ec europa eu environment chemicals lab_ animals 3r alternative_en htm Media N 2017 Physiology or Medicine 1981 Press Release Retrieved from Nobel Prize https www nobel prize org nobel_prizes medicine laureates 1981 press html Okkenhaug B 2013 Gene targeting in mice a review Retrieved from NCBI https www ncbi nlm nih gov pubmed 23996268 NC3Rs 2014 May NC3Rs Housing and Husbandry Cats Retrieved from NC3R s https www nc3rs org uk 3rs resources housing and husbandr y housing andhusbandry cats housing Pet Food Manufacturers Association 2016 Pet Population Retrieved from Pet Food Manufacturers Association http www pfma org uk pet population 2016 BHS 2011 Equestrian Statistics Retrieved from British Horse Society www bhs org uk media bhs files pdfdocuments equestrian statistics ashx Blanning T 2015 September 15th Prussian and Power ful Retrieved from The Economist http www economist com news books and ar ts 21664055 what made frederick great pr ussian andpowerful Bekoff M 2013 September 10th Do Smarter Dogs Really Suffer More than Dumber Mice Retrieved from Live Science http www livescience com 39547 dodogs suffer more than mice html 202 11 46 Page 202
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 December 2017 11 46 Page 203 Animal Technology and Welfare Are the special considerations afforded to cats dogs primates and equidae under the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 as amended ethically scientifically or legally justified EMMA FILBY University Biomedical Services Mira Building Charles Babbage Road Cambridge CB3 0ES Correspondence ef320 cam ac uk Ethical considerations Sentience is allocated to different species considering their capacity to feel things such as pain or conversely pleasure 1 Generally it is accepted that humans are at the top of the sentience scale and are given more rights than those of animals in a way that excludes humans from the kind of research permitted on other animals 2 Non human animals are assigned a moral status by considering the species degree of cognitive emotional and social complexity 3 Ethically using a sliding scale it is considered better practice to use lower sentience of animals in research than those with an elevated status such as cats dogs primates and equidae A vegan billboard campaign Figure 1 argues that animals are assigned a higher moral status in consideration to their aesthetic value to humans This is suggesting we would not allow pets to enter the food chain but consider it acceptable that common farm stock are used by humans for food I make the argument that this is also true when planning on using animals for animal research I would suggest we acknowledge companion animals and those that express suffering in a way that can be equated to human emotions to have a greater capacity for suffering Historically this understanding has afforded cats dogs primates and equidae special consideration when being used for human benefit including animal research although ethically may not be necessarily justified Our understanding of animals expression of pain is constantly changing For example pain assessment using facial expressions has been used in primates 4 however recently grimace scales have been developed for other species including mice rats and rabbits which are thought to be of lower sentience but have now been proven to express pain 5 Even Zebrafish lar vae which are not currently a protected animal until they are capable of feeding independently Guidance on ASPA p9 6 have been proven to respond to analgesia agents suggesting we should be considering the use of pain relief for them despite not being protected by law 7 Scientific considerations Figure 1 Vegan billboard A regulated animal s stress response will have a detrimental effect on the integrity of scientific data In terms of potential suffering the impact for research could be greater for animals with advanced cognitive understanding which justifies the extra provisions for cats dogs primates and equidae Research animals stress response can affect their physiology behaviour and consequentially the integrity of data quality 8 For science to remain relevant we have to be aware of the impact that stress can have which is a good scientific argument for the extra considerations given to the animals higher on the sentience scale that have more neuro physiological developed 203
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 204 AS ET Special Bursary Competition Essays Where a rat can be used in place of a primate it is justifiable to do so considering our ability to mimic a natural environment in a laboratory setting Because laboratory animals spend a lot of time in their home cages not being used in experiments Enriching their environment is an important refinement to allow them to express natural behaviour to make sure they suffer as little as possible Reducing stress levels will have a positive impact on animal welfare as well as the integrity of the data collected 9 Animals that are able to express natural behaviours within a laborator y environment are going to experience the least suffering so it is debateable that we can best apply the Principles of the 3Rs to animals lower on the sentient scale such as rats because we can mimic a natural habitat and social structure easier than we can for primates It has been proven that burrowing climbing and standing are important behaviours to a rat 10 Seminaturalistic accommodation can be provided for laboratory rodents by social housing in caging with a shelf Figure 2 to elevate them morally when the law was revised and extended In line with the 3Rs when conducting animal research we need to minimise pain and suffering while maximising well being and where appropriate replacing certain species with alternatives 13 These alternatives are considered to be species with a lesser capacity for pain and suffering as well as non animal alternatives such as tissue cultures Guidance on ASPA p 108 6 When applying for a project licence the proposing to use primates cats dogs or equidae a case will have to be made as to why other species cannot be used instead Guidance on ASPA p 59 6 When UK law was transposed into the European Directive 2010 63 EU on the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes which came into effect on January 1st 2013 only small changes were made to the UK s already high standards It was decided by government to continue applying stricter standards than other European countries in relation to some species such as retaining special protection for dogs cats and horses as well as for non human primates 14 Complete replacement of animals in scientific experimentation is debated by some groups for example the Dr Hadwen Trust However in 2012 a Mori Poll demonstrated that 85 of the British public believe Animal experimentation is acceptable providing the pain distress and lasting harm to the subjects is minimal and justifiable Figure 2 Demonstrating a rat shelf To minimise the impact on animals used in science the government ensures any studies proposing to use animals are first considered and advised by an institutional Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body AWERB this type of ethical review has been compulsory since 1998 15 The aims of these local groups are to assess the acceptability of the proposed work with consideration to the harm benefit assessment determining if the potential harms the animal could come to are justifiable ethically to achieve the scientific aim 16 Legal considerations Making reference to the potential for pain and suffering it is justified that cats dogs primates and equidae are given extra consideration under the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 198617 However in my opinion the law does not go far enough to protect animals with the capacity for pain such as the Zebrafish larvae in Javier Lopez Luna s recent study 7 Animals in research were first protected by law in 1876 when the Cruelty To Animals Act came into action this was the first time cats dogs monkeys and horses were considered worthy of extra protection 12 The Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 adopted the idea that cats dogs primates and equidae deserve greater consideration than other species and continued Understanding the potential suffering that can be caused using a sentient animal for a scientific procedure should we then then extend the extra protection to also include other species with advanced cognitive development such as pigs rather than giving only cats dogs primates and equidae special Whereas primate housing needs provision for resting running climbing leaping and foraging and a degree of choice and control over their environment which requires a much larger floor to ceiling enclosure 11 204
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 205 AS ET Special Bursary Competition Essays consideration For example pigs have problem solving capabilities that rival a chimpanzee s so I propose cats dogs primates and equidae are not the only species which deserve a gold status 17 7 8 Conclusion I conclude that we should consider reassessing the moral status of some animals in research Our understanding for species capacity for pain distress and lasting harm is continually evolving which would require constant re evaluation of the animals position in the sliding scale of sentience as relevant knowledge demands While we should continue to give cats dogs primates and equidae special consideration they should not be given additional rights as all laboratory species need to be kept to a high standard In my opinion it is better to approach all species with equal consideration pre empting their capacity for pain distress and lasting harm will ensure the impact on the animals welfare is minimal even as our knowledge advances Other factors Other barriers which might be in place that protect cats dogs primates and equidae in addition to the law financial restrictions are likely to benefit the considerations afforded to the large species referenced in the title question as they are a more expensive research model than other alternatives To avoid incurring expense where money is limited is the choice to use lower sentience animals is likely to be in line with budget decisions For example an individual marmoset will cost in excess of 3 500 compared to 90 for a transgenic mouse so where a mouse can be used in place of a primate it always will be Retrospective review for rodents is every 4 years whereas primates is every year so more efforts are made with the primate species References 1 2 3 4 5 6 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Lopez Luna J Al Jubouri Q Al Nuaimy W and Sneddon L 2017 Reduction in activity by noxious chemical stimulation is ameliorated by immersion in analgesic drugs in zebrafish The Journal of Experimental Biology 220 8 pp 1451 1458 Castelhano Carlos M and Baumans V 2009 The impact of light noise cage cleaning and in house transport on welfare and stress of laboratory rats Laboratory Animals 43 4 pp 311 327 Animalresearch info 2017 The global resource for scientific evidence in animal research online Available at http www animalresearch info en Accessed 14 Jun 2017 Makowska I and Weary D 2013 Assessing the emotions of laboratory rats Applied Animal Behaviour Science 148 1 2 pp 1 12 NC3rs org uk 2006 Non human primate accommodation care and use NC3Rs online Available at https www nc3rs org uk non humanprimate accommodation care and use Accessed 14 Jun 2017 Speaking of Research 2017 Animal Research Regulations in the UK online Available at https speakingofresearch com facts animal researchregulations in the uk Accessed 14 Jun 2017 Nc3rs org uk 2017 The 3Rs online Available at https www nc3rs org uk the 3rs Accessed 14 Jun 2017 Maintaining protection 2012 Veterinar y Record 170 21 pp 526 526 RSPCA 2017 AWERB online Available at https science rspca org uk sciencegroup researchani mals ethicalreview differentsystems uk Accessed 14 Jun 2017 Jennings M Berdoy M Hawkins P Kerton A Law B Lilley E et al 2015 Guiding principles on good practice for Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Bodies 3rd ed LASA The Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 https www gov uk guidance research and testing usinganimals Marino Lori and Colvin Christina M 2015 Thinking Pigs A Comparative Review of Cognition Emotion and Personality in Sus domesticus International Journal of Comparative Psychology 28 Mogil J Davis K and Derbyshire S 2010 The necessity of animal models in pain research Pain 151 1 pp 12 17 Frey R 2002 Justifying animal experimentation Society 39 6 pp 37 47 DeGrazia D 2002 Animal rights a ver y shor t introduction Oxford Oxford University Press p 36 Kalin N Shelton S Fox A Oakes T and Davidson R 2005 Brain Regions Associated with the Expression and Contextual Regulation of Anxiety in Primates Biological Psychiatry 58 10 pp 796 804 Langford D Bailey A Chanda M Clarke S Drummond T Echols S et al 2010 Coding of facial expressions of pain in the laboratory mouse Nature Methods 7 6 pp 447 449 Gov uk 2017 Guidance on the operation of the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 GOV UK online Available at https www gov uk government publications operation of aspa Accessed 14 Jun 2017 205
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Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 207 December 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare PLATFORM PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS Congress platform presentations provide important information for technologists and researchers However not all platform presenters provide a full paper for publication and although abstracts are printed in the Congress Handbook which is also available on the IAT website http www iat org uk congresshandbook the editorial board is aware that not all readers can access it It has therefore been decided that for the foreseeable future abstracts will be printed in ATW in addition to being available on the website Where papers based on Congress 2017 platform presentations have been printed in Animal Technology and Welfare the full reference is given Preparing dogs for study life improving welfare efficiency and data output Laura Scullion Hall PhD University of Stirling Causewayhead Stirling Scotland FK9 4LA housed dogs are described As with any planned refinement it is necessary to evaluate the effects of a training programme using a validated method We have developed welfare monitoring tools which can be employed by care staff and technical staff to monitor the impact of planned refinement on home pen welfare and to evaluate progress in training Reference The dog is the preferred non rodent species in the safety assessment of new compounds Despite their widespread use 100 000 used globally each year in research we know little about their welfare and the impact of routine practices on their welfare While some form of training is frequently recommended in legislation and guides there is very little guidance available on effective training protocols As a result many practices are based upon anecdotal evidence While there is a broad desire to implement effective training for many aspects of laboratory housed dog use there remain a number of barriers to uptake including lack of resources specific to the research environment lack of confidence in training techniques and concerns about interference with study outputs At the outset of a new collaborative project across UK industry we present evidence based resources for care technical and scientific staff to support the implementation of refinements Best practice for a number of protocols will be shared In this talk a number of techniques employed to prepare dogs for study life will be presented These include positive reinforcement training desensitisation increased predictability modified handling and modified dosing techniques Empirical evidence demonstrating both the welfare benefits and ease of implementation of an effective positive training protocol for laboratory Scullion Hall L and Robinson S 2016 Implementing a successful positive reinforcement training protocol in laboratory housed dogs Animal Technology and Welfare 15 2 pp 83 88 O O O Refinement of food restriction regimes in mice David Thomson PhD University of Strathclyde the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences 161 Cathedral Street Glasgow Scotland G4 0RE Food restriction is a well recognised method used in neuroscience to promote performance towards a goal and to increase reward seeking behaviour In the rodent a large number of behavioural tasks depend on appropriate balanced reduction of the rodent s food intake to maintain the animal s weight to within 85 90 of their free feeding weight It is well documented that the animals often do not perform the tasks as well on a Monday Our group uses refined food restriction methods to increase performance for behavioural tests such as recognition tasks and short term memory tasks both of which require increased goal seeking behaviour in order to examine disorders such as 207
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 208 Congress 2017 Platform Presentation Abstracts Schizophrenia and autism and its improved management This paper will describe issues that we have encountered and how we have developed a series of refinements such as group housing and changes to weekend food provision These changes increase the likelihood of reduced fluctuations in body weight that have an adverse effect on experimental data In part we have been able to implement this with the Animal Technologist s involvement in the weekend food restriction process From these refinements we have observed more sociable animals reduced weight fluctuations and improved returns on Monday training results O O O Light intensity and its impact on survival rates of pigmentless Zebrafish Danio rerio Paul Barwood BSc Hons Aquaculture and Fisheries Management University College London Division of Biosciences Gower Street London WC1E 6BT The Zebrafish Danio rerio is a species with increasing importance across many scientific disciplines however much about their husbandry requirements is still poorly understood misunderstood or unknown Many research disciplines utilise strains of Zebrafish with lesser levels of pigmentation than a normal Zebrafish but the husbandry and larval rearing of such fish is still poorly understood Through database analysis at UCL it has become apparent that larval pigmentless strains of Zebrafish have a lower survival rate than those with pigment We believe one factor influencing this is the lighting intensity as it is known that albino rodents have a lower light aversion threshold than their pigmented counterpar ts The accepted lighting standard for Zebrafish is to replicate a day and night cycle of 14 hours daylight and 10 hours of night darkness but light intensity recommendations are vague or non existent We thought that the ambient lighting level in the room necessary for humans to perform visual tasks would have an adverse effect on the survival rates of larval forms of some pigmentless strains and that this could be ameliorated by housing fish in a position further away from the light source Our studies have shown this not to be the case To test this hypothesis further we used a pigmentless fish tranac and pigmented Wild Type Zebrafish and analysed their performance when housed in transparent opaque and coloured tanks therefore exposing the fish to different light levels whilst being housed on a normal racking system O O O Refinement of tumour passage by optimisation of the tissue disaggregation protocol Melanie Galvin MSc Biomedical Science Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute Wilmslow Road Manchester M20 4BX 208 Surgical implantation of tumour pieces is used regularly in the passage of tumour models This involves an invasive surgical procedure carried out under anaesthesia ensuring the mice have adequate pain relief and peri operative care The procedure also requires multiple tumour bearing donor mice to generate sufficient tissue for surgical implantation particularly for large scale efficacy studies Using the gentle MACS Disassociation Kit Miltenyi Biotech we sought to refine our tumour passage methods and subsequently reduce the number of mice required for studies Tumours were disaggregated mouse red blood cells eliminated and any dead residual mouse cells removed The remaining tumour cells were mixed with matrigel and implanted subcutaneously in the hind flank of mice Results have shown that tumours are able to grow successfully via this method and cell viability has been maintained growth assay Due to the number of cells generated using this protocol we are able to implant more mice per tumour thus reducing the number of donor mice required Moreover the implantation procedure is less invasive and a milder severity performing a subcutaneous injection rather than a surgical implant under general anaesthesia Not only does this process improve animal welfare from a 3Rs perspective it also improves other aspects of the experiment by reducing intertumour heterogeneity thus improving the science O O O Refinements in rat dual cannulation surgery by using the vascular access button offering the advantage of group housing Samantha Izzard MIAT GlaxoSmithKline Gunnelswood Road Stevenage Hertfordshire SG2 0HT The current procedure for dual cannulation surgery involves Wistar Han male rats being individually housed and placed in a vascular access harness The rats take up to seven days to recover their pre operative weight and may experience grazing from the bands This project evaluated the use of the vascular access button and housing of the rats in pairs post operatively If successful it could mean that the rats would be harness free regain pre operative weight within a couple of days and as social animals be pair housed We initially set a meeting up with the Named Veterinary Surgeon NVS and project licence holder to discuss the new model development and how it could improve the welfare of the rats and study outcomes We developed the technique using a rat cadaver and once we were confident with the placement of the button we carried out a live trial using aseptic techniques in recovery surgery For the assessment we monitored rat weight healing and behaviour towards cage mate All animal studies were ethically reviewed and carried out in accordance with Animals Scientific Procedures Act
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 209 Congress 2017 Platform Presentation Abstracts 1986 and the GSK Policy on the care welfare and treatment of animals This presentation will discuss the aseptic technique used method and results as well as the future plans for the rat dual cannulation surgery at GSK O O O Advances in transgenic technology Elizabeth Hurd PhD University of Edinburgh Central Bioresearch Services Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine Western General Hospital Crewe Road Edinburgh Midlothian EH44 2XU Transgenic animal models have had a huge impact on scientific research and have led to a greater understanding of complex biological processes In addition they have also significantly contributed to the development of new treatments of both human and animal diseases However production of specific transgenic animal models has historically taken a long time usually years using conventional methods of gene targeting Since 2013 there has been a revolution in the field of transgenic production that has significantly reduced the time it takes to generate novel animal lines with specific mutations These new gene editing tools called CRISPR Cas9 are now being routinely used by transgenic facilities around the world with great success They are also being used in clinical trials to directly target human disease Here I describe this new gene editing technology and highlight the potential advantages in relation to the NC3Rs when generating novel lines for scientific research O O O Working with poultry in avian viral disease research spreading our wings ensure the chickens we use here at TPI are cared for with compassion and to the highest standard of welfare possible The purpose of this presentation is to give an insight into the aims operations and difficulties of a poultry experimental facility and to shed new light on this often overlooked species The topics covered will include husbandr y enrichment and regulated procedures describing some of the ways TPI has tailored its housing and methods of husbandry to refine poultry welfare I will explain the main aspects of working with poultry and highlight some of the reasons why a job hatching and raising chickens for use in animal research can be extremely rewarding O O O Focus on improving welfare reducing stress and aiding recovery of surgical procedures Emma Vacca University of Cambridge Innes Building Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0ES All surgery can be stressful to some degree this presentation focusses on and identifies causes of stress from husbandr y handling and enrichment choices in rats Literature is replete with studies on stressors to the laboratory rat therefore a review was undertaken which focussed specifically on refinements for rats used as a surgical model in spinal cord and brain lesioning surgeries The aim of this review was to collate best practice describe our own practical refinements that we have found beneficial and to suggest what current best practice should be Our intention is to help reduce suffering and improve welfare without compromising the scientific objectives by refining pre and post surgical procedures in order to cause minimal stress to the rats O O O Megan Cooper BSc Animal Science Behaviour and Welfare The Pirbright Institute Ash Road Woking Surrey GU24 0NF In 2015 of the 4 14 million procedures performed on animals in research only 3 4 were performed on birds Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain 2015 Home Office UK Due to the relatively low numbers of poultry used in UK research studies there is a historical paucity of readily available information and scrutiny on the welfare and enrichment of birds kept for scientific research especially those involving infectious diseases The Pirbright Institute TPI is home to an extensive avian viral disease programme and has helped develop several lines of genetically defined chickens with differential resistance to various disease agents These birds are used both in embryonic form and posthatch chicks at various stages of development by our scientists An avian support technician s job is to ANDREW BLAKE TRIBUTE AWARD sponsored by abpi The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry Time for change practicalities of implementing non aversive methods for handling mice John Waters BSc Hons MIAT NACWO Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution MBE Group Institute of Integrative Biology University of Liverpool Leahurst Campus Neston Cheshire CH64 7TE Recent studies have shown that the method choice for handling laborator y mice is impor tant to animal 209
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 210 Congress 2017 Platform Presentation Abstracts welfare In 2015 60 of all animals used in Home office procedures were laboratory mice Given the large number of mice within global facilities mouse welfare should be given high priority Improved handling not only leads to more consistent scientific data it can also lead to improved animal welfare Historically mice have been picked up by their tail a method that has been passed down to generations of technicians animal technologists and is widely accepted as a method of handling Hurst and West 2010 showed that picking up mice by their tail induces aversion and high anxiety By contrast using alternatives such as a tunnel or cupped on the open hand leads to voluntary approach to the handler low anxiety and animals that more readily accept some physical restraint Hurst and West s findings were consistent across strains and sex of laboratory mice handlers with differing levels of experience and different light periods light dark From a welfare perspective the response from the mice on a daily basis is a positive step in the right direction Reference Waters J 2017 Time for change Practicalities of implementing non aversive methods for handling mice Animal Technology and Welfare 16 1 pp 47 56 O O O Using the science of human behaviour change to improve the welfare of research animals Suzanne Rogers BSc Hons International Consultant for Animal Welfare and Human Behaviour Human Behaviour Change for Animal Welfare Community Resource The root cause of much compromised animal welfare is what humans do or do not do For research animals it can sometimes be challenging to engage all staff in the most refined procedures and handling techniques This presentation will explore how understanding the science of human behaviour change can help you increase your influence and improve take up of good practices Reference Rogers S 2017 How can we use the science of human behaviour change to improve animal welfare of research animals Animal Technology and Welfare 16 2 pp 119 121 O O O You have the best ideas Norman Mortell BA Hons MIAT Agenda Life Sciences PO Box 24 Hull East Riding of Yorkshire HU12 8YJ New ideas improvements and innovations are all around us and they are also lurking within our own 210 organisations we just need a way to enable them to surface and to nurture them We hope that this presentation will inspire attendees to look inwards to their own staff who often have the best ideas This reallife case study describes how a management challenge can be applied to any organisation and to all levels of staff Empowering individuals to develop something new can have many positive impacts for the organisation but also for the development of the individual This case study will describe the framework used and the real tangible and long term benefits that were developed O O O KEVIN DOLAN MEMORIAL LECTURE Animals that are out of this World Julie Keeble PhD Institute of Pharmaceutical Science King s College London Franklin Wilkins Building 150 Stamford Street London SW1 9NH Animals have been orbiting the earth since the 1950s when Laika a dog was launched aboard the Soviet Sputnik 2 spacecraft Laika died in orbit as was the plan because the technology did not exist to bring the dog back to earth Several animals had reached space before that but had not made it into orbit the first of which were fruit fies Drosophila in 1947 Animals play an enormously important role in understanding how microgravity affects the physiology of living organisms including their cardiovascular system respirator y system and behaviour amongst other things Most recently astronauts and cosmonauts have been studying their behaviour aboard the International Space Station ISS Animals that have been studied in space include wasps beetles tortoises flies fleas worms fish spiders rabbits bees ants frogs mice crickets rats newts snails urchins moths brine shrimp jellyfish Guinea pigs butter flies scorpions and cockroaches Recently a new dedicated rodent facility was launched to the ISS and has been housing mice for research purposes This presentation will give some background to the use of animals in space and will give an overview of current challenges to carrying out research on animals aboard the International Space Station with respect to welfare and practicalities from launch and beyond
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 December 2017 Page 211 Animal Technology and Welfare POSTER PRESENTATIONS Originally presented at IAT Congress 2017 DNA sampling by skin swabbing for Zebrafish Danio rerio and sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus CARL BREACKER and CEINWEN TILLEY Department of Neuroscience Psychology Behaviour University of Leicester Leicester LE1 7RH Correspondence cb308 le ac uk Introduction Fin clipping of live fish under anaesthesia is widely used to collect tissues samples for DNA extraction However this technique raises a number of ethical concerns since the use of anaesthetic and or physical fin damage may cause behavioural changes pain suffering or lasting harm Furthermore fin clipping is a regulated procedure is time intensive and requires significant training An alternative approach is to obtain DNA samples by swabbing the skin of nonanaesthetised fish 1 2 However this method has yet to be widely adopted for use in laboratory studies We compared fin clips and skin swab methods for DNA extraction and PCR analysis of Zebrafish and Stickleback DNA Here we show that swabbing provides a reliable alternative to fin clipping The increased up take of skin swabbing has the potential to dramatically reduce the number of regulated procedures under taken on laboratory fish Method Fish were placed on a flat wet sponge secured gently with thumb and forefinger to enable swabs to be taken Figure 1a Figure 1a Three spined stickleback being swabbed for DNA Fish were swabbed a maximum of 5 times from head to tail between the anal fin and the caudal fin Swabbing direction is critical in Zebrafish serious damage will be caused if swabbed against the lay of the scales Figure 1b 211
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 212 Poster Presentations Swabbing provides an inexpensive fast and effective alternative to fin clipping Fish as small as 20mm SL were successfully swabbed this is the smallest size fish recommended to use Different strains produced similar DNA yields and genotype results We found no evidence for cross contamination by mucus transfer Mutant genes were not amplified from DNA obtained from wild type fish Figure 1b Zebrafish showing direction of swab Fin clips were taken to compare levels of DNA obtained from both techniques To determine what size fish can be swabbed whilst maintaining a good balance between fish safety and DNA collection fish of various sizes from both species were swabbed For determination of the robustness of this technique in Zebrafish as well as AB wild types the following strains were also tested Casper Vmat2 HB9 GLYT2 Techniques were timed to check how long fish were out of water Over the subsequent two week period swabbed and fin clipped fish were monitored to check for any detrimental side effects that may have developed post tissue collection Using sex marker primers in sticklebacks males and females are identified even at a young age Figure 3 a b c DNA contamination via mucus transfer One important question is whether mucus transfer between fish could lead to incorrect genotype identification The following protocol was used to test for this possibility House mutant transgenic and WT fish together Swab Extract DNA Check for mutant transgenic genes in WT swabs Results d Figure 3 PCR results a Zebrafish 1 3 fin clips 4 6 swabs 7 9 swabs from 20mmSL b Zebrafish strains swabs 1 4 Casper 5 8 HB9 9 12 Glyt2 13 16 Vmat c Zebrafish cross contamination tes WTDNA Mitfa primers 5 8 WTDNA GFP primers 9 12 Vmat DNA GFP primers 5 8 Vmat DNA Mitfa primers d Stickleback swabs 1 2 50mmSL 3 4 50mmSL 5 6 20mmSL 7 8 20mmSL Conclusions Figure 2 Abstract from original article from Zebrafish Volume 1 Number 6 2016 212 We tested whether less invasive mucus swabbing could present a successful alternative to conventional tissue sampling techniques for DNA extraction in fish i e fin clipping We found that while DNA yield is lower sufficient DNA was sampled for subsequent analysis by PCR Although this technique allows DNA sampling without anaesthesia further work is to be carried out to investigate stress responses for this method The
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 213 Poster Presentations technique therefore has the potential for a less invasive alternative to the fin clip method Further information can be found in the study by Breacker et al 2017 3 References 1 2 3 Le Vin A Adam A Tedder A Arnold K and Able B 2011 Validation of swabs as a non destructive and relatively non invasive DNA sampling method in fish Molecular ecology resources 11 pp 107 109 Sebire M Elphinstone Davis J Hatfield R Winberg S and Katsiadaki I 2015 Prozac affects stickleback nest quality without altering androgen spiggin or aggression levels during a 21 day breeding test AquatToxicol 168 pp 78 89 Breacker C Barber I Norton W H McDearmid J R and Tilley C A 2017 A Low Cost Method of Skin Swabbing for the Collection of DNA Samples from Small Laboratory Fish Zebrafish 14 pp 35 41 213
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 214 Animal Technology and Welfare December 2017 Increasing survival rates in the Zebrafish Zebra danio at the University of Manchester DAVID MORTELL and SOPHIE MOORES BSF University of Manchester Stopford Building Oxford Road Manchester M13 9PT Correspondence david mortell manchester ac uk The average sur vival rate for our Zebrafish ZF embryos was 65 When it was time to create our next generation of Wild Type WT used for embr yo production we decided to run a trial focussing on the effects of feeding regimes and stocking densities on development and survival rates of juvenile fish in our aquarium We looked at various feeding regimes with different variations of live and powdered feeds and the benefits of cutting down stocking densities at 1 month rather than the usual 2 months This trial was conducted over the first 2 months of the life of the Zebrafish as this period is critical in the development of healthy fish We wanted to look at ways of refining our practices with the aim of using less fish Method Twelve 3 litre tanks were set up in the nursery area Into each tank we put 35 five day old Wild Type Zebrafish fry The tanks were placed on a free standing fish system with carbon filtration Ultra Violet UV sterilisation and both biological and microbiological filtration The water flow into the tanks was kept at its slowest constant stream rather than a drip to avoid sinking the powdered diet that floats on the surface Each tank was fed as per feeding regime table below One tank from each feeding regime was split down into 5 fish per litre at 1 month the other tank was split down at 2 months Water quality The water quality for the duration of this feeding trial was as follows Salt 450 600 ms cm PH 7 8 Ammonia 0 ms cm Nitrite
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 215 Poster Presentations We visually compared the variation in size of fish in each tank and noted approximately how many times bigger the largest fish in the tank had grown when compared to the smallest It was clear that some feeding regimes produced more consistently sized fish whereas others produced a marked difference between the largest and the smallest fish Conclusion We managed to improve our survival rates and get fewer developmental issues by splitting down into correct stocking densities earlier and finding the most beneficial feeding regime 3 This has helped us to reduce the number of fry added to the nursery and therefore use less fish in keeping with the principles of the 3Rs of fish with kinked tails We also recorded any developmental issues that were observed in this case we saw a small number of fish with kinked tails and a small number of very small fish Again it was clear that some feeding regimes produced fish with less developmental issues 25 20 15 10 Split at 2 months 5 Split at 1 month 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Feeding regime Figure 3 Percentage of fish exhibiting kinked tails of tiny fish 25 20 Acknowledgements 15 Thanks to Graham Morrissey and all the BSF aquatic staff Split at 2 months 10 Split at 1 month 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Feeding regime Figure 4 Percentage of undersized fish 215
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 216 Animal Technology and Welfare December 2017 Rise of the rotifiers Brine Shrimp who needs them A complete shift away from Brine Shrimp to rotifiers as live diet for Zebrafish DIMITRA MANTZOROU THOM BERRIMAN SANJAY JANI RYAN CLARKE and BRUNO CORREIA DA SILVA King s College London Zebrafish Facility Biological Services Unit Guys Campus London SE1 1UL Correspondence dimitra mantzorou kcl ac uk Introduction Due to the increasing worldwide demand for Brine Shrimp cysts available stocks are becoming increasingly expensive and of a less reliable quality 1 Therefore Zebrafish facilities are facing growing pressure to identify replacement live diets Compared to a standard dry diet live diets provide a range of positive impacts for laborator y fish populations These include being easily digestible and bioavailable 1 3 5 encouraging natural feeding behaviours in response to prey movement1 and can often be nutrient enriched adding extra benefits in terms of survival growth and breeding health 2 In 2016 the King s College London KCL Zebrafish Facilities staff decided that the use of Brine Shrimp Artemia franciscana as a live diet was no longer practical We set out to establish a new economically efficient low salinity Rotifer Brachionus plicatilis protocol which could provide the live diet needs for the 40 000 fish in our facilities Table 1 Feeding regime before and after the establishment of the new 5ppt rotifer protocol 216 In keeping with the principles of the 3Rs we aimed to refine the live diet protocols in our facilities by launching a complete shift away from Brine Shrimp to 5ppt rotifers as live diet for juvenile to adult life stages Editors note Salinity is the measure of all the salts dissolved in water Salinity is usually measured in parts per thousand ppt or Materials and methods Initial set up G 500ml of live Marine Rotifera G Add 25 of the initial rotifers volume in 5ppt water daily until 1L After that daily G harvest 25 40 G replace with new 5ppt water G increase 25 of the volume just added G continue daily until 50L Daily protocol 1 Check a rotifer sample under a microscope to examine the culture health the density of the rotifers and the number of females carrying eggs 2 Remove the 200 micron filter pads from the 50L hatchers Figure 6 and rinse with cold water without squeezing 3 Clean the sides of the hatchers 4 Drain 25 40 from each culture through a filterpad sieve 5 Strain harvested rotifers through 53 micron sieve Figure 2 and dilute to desired volume of 5ppt water in the resting hatcher Figure 5 6 Add 15ml of algae enriched with RotiGrow Plus in the resting hatcher 7 Top up 50L hatchers with 5ppt water 8 The rotifer diet 200ml RotiGrow Plus 1L 5ppt water 60g ChloramX is prepared in advance
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 217 Poster Presentations aerated and kept in a fridge Figure 4 connected to the peristaltic pumps Figure 3 The rotifer cultures are fed automatically with 35ml of diet 6 times a day Figure 2 Rotifer 53 micron strainer Figure 5 Resting hatcher for harvested rotifers Figure 3 Peristaltic pump on a timer Figure 4 Fridge with diet fed to rotifers Figure 6 L type 5ppt rotifer Brachionus plicatilis culture 217
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 218 Poster Presentations Results on the growth and survival rates since so far there was no significant change recorded Table 2 How will the new diet regime impact on the breeding rates and the quality of the embryos produced Acknowledgements We would like to thank Ken Applebee and Stephen Woodley for their encouragement and support on this project References 1 Figure 7 Comparison of the weekly costs between materials used for the 5ppt rotifers and Brine Shrimp cultures at KCL 2 3 4 Table 2 Data for average nursery survival rates and time spent in nursery of fish before and after switch from Brine Shrimp to Rotifers Discussion At King s College London we have refined our previous live diet protocol4 and established a new more efficient low salinity Rotifer protocol with a turnover high enough to replace all Brine Shrimp feeding practices for 3 600 tanks By replacing the conventional Brine Shrimp protocol with this latest Rotifer protocol we have achieved the following A decrease in our weekly live diet production costs by 70 Figure 7 A decrease in the facility team workload and time spent on harvesting the live diet from 2 hours to 30 minutes daily Figure 7 A reliable continuous and sustainable source of live diet daily One convenient live diet for all life stages Control over the nutritional value through the enrichment of the rotifers with RotiGrow Plus Further investigation will focus on the potential impacts this new rotifer protocol may have upon the survival and breeding of Zebrafish For example What if any impact does the rotifer protocol have 218 5 Lawrence C James A and Mobley S 2015 Successful Replacement of Artemia salina nauplii with Marine Rotifers Brachionus plicatilis in the Diet of Preadult Zebrafish Danio rerio Zebrafish 12 5 366371 2015 doi 10 1089 zeb 2015 1118 Best J Adatto I Cockington J James A and Lawrence C 2010 A Novel Method for Rearing FirstFeeding Lar val Zebrafish Polyculture with Type L Saltwater Rotifers Brachionus plicatilis Zebrafish Vol 7 3 Sep 1 2010 Carvalho A P Araujo L and Santos M M 2006 Rearing zebrafish Danio rerio larvae without live food evaluation of a commercial a practical and a purified star ter diet on lar val per formance Aquaculture Research 2006 Jani S Berriman T Tunbak H Clarke R and Correia da Silva B 2016 Survival of the Fittest Zebrafish Larval Nutrition Animal Technology and Welfare IAT Journal 15 3 187 190 2016 Siccardi A Garris H Jones W Moseley D D Abramo L and Watts S 2009 Growth and Survival of Zebrafish Fed Different Diets Zebrafish Vol 6 3 2009
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 December 2017 Page 219 Animal Technology and Welfare Containment Level 2 Aquatics Facility development at the Sanger Institute NICOLA GOODWIN and LYNDA WESTALL The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute Wellcome Genome Campus Hinxton Cambridgeshire CB10 1SA Correspondence law sanger ac uk Introduction With the use of Zebrafish in research continuing to rise the requirements to adapt facilities for housing this species have grown from the general hobbyist setup to the advanced multi recirculating systems available today In many instances the introduction of aquatics species requires room alterations building management system amendments and compliance with regulations differing to that of mammalian species Although the design of an aquatics facility has some similarities to that of a rodent area there are critical differences which must be considered Working in collaboration the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and Cambridge University Department of Medicine LMB have created what is believed to be the first Aquatics Containment Level 2 CL2 facility in the UK and possibly Europe Here we explain the challenges of the system design room layout health and safety requirements personal protective equipment disinfectant procedures and building management system modifications to comply with legislation and scientific goals A self contained stand alone fish unit was utilised for this project The main challenges Solutions used within the Sanger CL2 Aquatics All holes within the G Rubber bungs fit system must be closed to within the tank lids reduce the risk of exposure these can easily be to system water and aerosol removed for feeding the fish G New drain covers were added to create close boxed drains with slits to allow space for siphons Tank lids must be fixed to reduce the risk of exposure when moving a tank G Clips along the lid of the tank secure the sides of the tank ensuring no movement G Mobile shelves are Reducing the risk of exposure by reducing the frequency of held on the rack tank removal with easy removal when installed tanks slide from the rack to the shelf without the requirement to lift the tank providing ease of access to the fish without the requirement to carry the tank G Water from the Waste water must be disinfected before going to system is collected the drain under HSE within a storage requirements container once full it is pumped to a second container where it is chemically treated overnight before entering the drain G 2 sinks 1 clean and 1 dirty The water from the dirty sink enters a storage container for chemical treatment water from the clean non contaminated sink is able to run to the drain without treatment 219
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 220 Poster Presentations Room design of an aquatics CL2 Rubber bung Lid clips To create the CL2 room a divisional wall and a door were installed One room is for CL2 level infection studies the other is to house our quarantine animals Picture 3 Clips along the lid of the tank secure the sides of the tank ensuring no movement Divisional wall Picture 1 CL2 room showing divisional wall Screen between clean and dirty sinks Housing system Mobile shelf Picture 4 Mobile shelves are held on the rack with easy removal when installed tanks slide from the rack to the shelf without the requirement to lift the tank providing ease of access to the fish without the requirement to carry the tank Chemical treatment container Clean sink fitted near room entrance Hand washing sink Picture 2 Schematic of room layout 220 System water storage container Picture 5 Water from the system is collected within a storage container once full it is pumped to a second container where it is chemically treated overnight before entering the drain
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 46 Page 221 Poster Presentations Personal protective equipment Personal Protective Equipment PPE procedures under HSE guidance have been implemented to protect staff and provide biosecurity Conducting procedures not requiring the removal of a tank from the rack Gloves disposable lab coat overshoes face shield Conducting procedures requiring removal of a tank from the rack Gloves Tyvek with boots due to the increased risk of splashing contaminated water face shield a sealed container and immediately taken to an autoclave for decontamination To decontaminate water Water from the dirty sink and housing system is collected within a disinfection tank At the end of each day disinfectant is added to the tank based on the volume of water collected that day Disinfectant remains in the tank overnight and drained the next morning following dilution using RO To achieve this a control panel is manually adjusted to open and close the disinfectant tank valves ensuring the water is decontaminated before disposal This control panel linked to the building management system alarms should the disinfectant tank reach a level that requires emptying This provides out of hours assurance the system is functioning correctly 6a 6b Pictures 6a and 6b Personal Protective Equipment 6a Conducting procedures not requiring the removal of a tank from the rack 6b Conducting procedures requiring removal of a tank from the rack Disinfectant procedures Due to HSE regulations we are required to ensure anything leaving the area is decontaminated This includes solid wastes and water To decontaminate solid wastes such as gloves and paper towels All solids can be held within the room in a bin containing a red bag To remove the bag from the room it must be boxed in Picture 7 Control panel 221
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 Poster Presentations Acknowledgements We would like to thank Liz McMinn from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute Health and Safety group for her input into this project Picture 8 CL2 Aquatic facility 222 11 46 Page 222
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 47 Page 223 December 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare The emotional impact on Animal Technologists working with animals TRACY BENFORD Biological Investigation Group Public Health England Porton Porton Down Salisbury Wiltshire SP4 0JG Correspondence tracy benford phe gov uk Introduction When people think about animal testing the figure of a mad scientist conducting horrific experiments may spring to mind Figure 1 experience a range of emotions that may include sadness anger and resentment This side of animal experimentation is often overlooked or not even considered The main focus is directed towards the animal experiments and meeting regulatory experimental requirements Bonds formed between Animal Technologists and experimental animals can be beneficial on both sides easing fear and stress improving experimental results but can also lead to Animal Technologists suffering from feelings of grief and remorse for animals in their care that have to be euthanised Animal Technologists often feel that they are unable to discuss such issues outside of the work environment for fear of reprisals and threats from animal activists Figure 1 This is often the view put across by reports in the media There is no thought given to the impact of this on the animal technologists who regularly work with the animals providing food water cleaning their cages and providing 24 hour care throughout the experimental process until the end of the study When animals suffer from the effects of the experimental process or die Animal Technologists can Figure 2 223
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 47 Page 224 Poster Presentations Even family and friends may be kept in the dark about the actual extent and involvement in animal experiments Animal Technologists in my experience are caring sympathetic human beings who genuinely love the animals under their care Current situation At some establishments managers have an open door policy where technicians can discuss their feelings and seek advice about issues effecting them Some have Mental Health First Aiders on site that will listen to staff and can advise on the best places to find assistance in dealing with their emotions and let them know it is acceptable to express their feelings and not be ashamed or embarrassed by their reactions Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 3 Not all establishments are as pro active in their response to technician welfare Providing environmental enrichment for the laboratory animals encourages natural behaviours such as foraging and nesting Animal Technologists can gain a positive benefit by being actively involved in the design and manufacture of toys treat boxes that encourages the animals natural behaviours Suggestions for the future Figure 4 224 There is a need for policies to be introduced in all establishments that use animals to ensure the wellbeing of all staff Support of this nature helps to maintain a healthy and productive workforce in the animal research environment for both humans and animals Policies should be implemented that allow technicians caring for long term studies to have the
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 47 Page 225 Poster Presentations choice to be excused from par ticipating in the euthanasia of the animals in their care In some cases the technician may feel that it is their place to be with the animal until the end owing a duty of care to the animal and offering some closure to the technician involved The management of the facility should learn to recognise stressors to personnel related to euthanasia and respect an individual s choice to be excused from euthanising an animal to which they have become attached Occupational Health and Human Resources should make themselves familiar with such issues understanding the grieving process and complications related to repeated loss Such issues could be addressed during the interview process and discussed at annual health surveillance checks Topics of this nature should be raised at Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body AWERB along with up and coming studies Staff should be encouraged to present the positive aspects of their work and how they make life better for the animals in their care at seminars such as IAT Congress and LASA Also concentrating on the positive aspects of research and lives that have been improved through research By scheduling seminars and discussion sessions on this topic some institutions have created an atmosphere that encourages employees to openly acknowledge their feelings on such issues and helps to establish a more open environment Acknowledgements Dr Keith Davies Cardiff University Mike Dennis Scientific Lead BIG PHE Porton Managers and Staff BIG PHE Porton 225
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 47 Page 226 Animal Technology and Welfare December 2017 Creatively meeting the standards taking rabbit housing to the next level KATHERINE MARSHALL HALEY WOLFORD and LAUREN MARTIN Oregon Health Science University Oregon National Primate Research Centre 505 NW 185th Ave Beaverton OR 97006 USA Correspondence marshalk ohsu edu AAALAC International Fellowship Award 2017 USA Recipient Abstract The 8th Edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals clarified its language regarding housing social species specifying that Single housing of social species should be the exception 1 This is a challenge for many institutions in the United States as often budgets for new housing need to be planned far in advance Further while rabbits are social by nature not all rabbits engage in a positive and mutually beneficial manner with conspecifics resulting in the need to be creative when ensuring their social needs are being met Our facility has implemented multiple solutions to this challenge through the use of technology secure play space and modification to current equipment These solutions have allowed us to meet the requirements set forth in the new Guide in a resource effective and environmentally friendly manner while minimising disruptions to the rabbits This work was conducted with approval from the OHSUWest Campus ONPRC IACUC Objectives Provide social interactions in a safe secure and mutually beneficial manner Monitor animals remotely without interfering with cohort interactions Increase oppor tunities for species normative activities such as foraging rearing hopping and digging Meet the above objectives in a fiscally prudent manner G G G G cleaned of all residue with holes for drainage and feet added for stability 2 PVC caps secured with bolts internal floor toys dumbbells and balls BioServ tinted Polycarbonate Huts BioServ water bowls Foster and Smith Graco True Focus digital wireless video transmitter 2 4GHz Amazon Cage Conversion Tunnels G G G stainless steel tunnel measuring 8x8x7 size appropriate for NZW
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 47 Page 227 Poster Presentations Figure 4 Rabbits interacting with each other Figure 2 Rabbits using litter boxes Indelible marker is used to record the last two ID digits into the interior tip of the ear Animals are monitored for signs of aggression such as chasing biting scratching etc Submissive animals typically spend the remainder of the day in their transport box Assertive or dominant animals generally leave their transport box within a few hours LATs make note of this information for reference Monitoring continues for the remainder of the day by rotating staff through the room If animals are found to be incompatible with their conspecifics they are labelled as such on their cage card Those animals will spend their day in a pen adjacent to the group Once groups are established the LATs monitor the animals via the internal Bunny Cam The range for the Bunny Cam is limited to 1000 feet making external interception unlikely Internal minimum standards call for 4 hours of social pen time per week Our rabbits typically spend upwards of 4 hours per day in the pens Monitoring social groups Cage conversion tunnels Social groups are monitored closely by staff present within the room for at least 2 days Aggressive animals are separated either into pairs or trios Holes for the tunnels are cut through using a template to standardise template ensures that the cages can the rack and shifted to another misalignment the plastic cages placement The be removed from location without After exploring other materials a stainless steel square was developed measuring 8 It s secured by a carabineer that slides into a hole at the top of one side The other side has an enlarged flattened face that prevents the tunnel from slipping into the cage The tunnel has two caps that act as doors one for each cage They are secured by a tight spring threaded between the caps While humans have the dexterity and strength to manipulate the caps free rabbits are not able to do so Once established pairs can spend the day shifting between cages Figure 3 Monitoring via Bunny Cam Including labour and materials the tunnels cost roughly 900 This is far less than the cost of a replacement rack approx 677 227
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 47 Page 228 Poster Presentations Conclusions Providing social animals opportunities to engage with conspecifics is an important component of laboratory animal care This consideration is more challenging with some species who in nature would have a larger territory than is practical in the laboratory setting Establishing social groups in a spacious environment while monitoring animals closely can be a good first step in seeing which animals have an affinity towards others Once observed those animals can be housed in a tunnelled cage or can remain in a large group This work was conducted with approval from the OHSUWest Campus ONPRC IACUC References 1 Figure 5 Securing the cap from the front Figure 6 View of the off side with securing lip Figure 7 Carabineer clip securing the tunnel 228 National Research Council 2011 Guide for the Care and Use of Laborator y Animals Eighth Edition Washington DC The National Academies Press https doi org 10 17226 12910 ISBN 10 0309154006 ISBN 13 978 0309154000
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 47 Page 229 December 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare Combined screening strategy to reduce the numbers of sentinel animals used whilst maintaining confidence in results ANDREW DICKINSON Surrey Diagnostics Limited PO Box 156 Cranleigh Surrey GU6 8ZU Correspondence andy sdl btconnect com Introduction In recent times there has been a considerable focus on Polymerase Chain Reaction Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction PCR RT PCR being sold as the Gold Standard in laboratory animal health monitoring This however is sadly not the case Whilst these molecular screening methods are very useful in the right situation the use of PCR alone in the context of animal disease detection does not provide all the information required as with any method when used on its own any limitations or gaps in data can potentially cause problems What we propose here is a combined approach to LA Health monitoring where both the traditional methods serology microbiological culture and microscopy are used alongside non lethal serology and molecular methods to give added confidence in results and a more rounded picture of a colony s health status whilst at the same time allowing a significant reduction in the number of sentinel animals used Figure 1 Year 1 229
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 47 Page 230 Poster Presentations Figure 2 Subsequent years Rolling Sentinel Programme This is where 4 sentinels are housed in the sentinel cage on the rack Then for each screening interval 2 are culled for sampling for screening via serology microbiology and microscopy If results are clear then 2 new sentinels are introduced On the next screen the two older sentinels are used alone so it is recommended that the use of water bottles may be a good way to compensate for this Every day one of the bottles from a stock cage on the rack is moved to the sentinel cage so increasing the chances of any respiratory pathogens being transferred to the sentinels Exhaust air dust screening The advantages are 1 You are you using 2 sentinels where originally the recommended 3 would have been used 2 There is also a back up If you find unexpected results there are 2 more sentinels to use in order to verify those dismiss those results By using non lethal sampling Tail bleeds PCR for 2 of the quarterly screens at 3 and 9 months between the live animal s tests the numbers of sentinel animals used would be reduced by up to 50 In addition to this you are doubling the sentinel exposure time Dirty water bottle transfer It is known that respiratory pathogens do not transmit to sentinels efficiently via transfer of dirty bedding 230 A recent development in the use of PCR as a screening method is the use of Exhaust Air Dust from the exhaust plenum filter of each rack Air Handling Unit AHU The main problem being that you cannot control for any background levels of DNA from infectious agents which may originate from wild mice during the diet manufacturing process so its use as a primary method of screening is potentially misleading If this method is to be used it might be as a confirmatory test to back up the combined method described here but this would need to be verified Discussion Unfor tunately there are no per fect techniques available for laboratory animal health monitoring we can however seek to minimise the risk of false positive and false negatives in the technologies we have
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 47 Page 231 Poster Presentations currently The combining of antemortem serology and molecular methods with the more traditional screening techniques is a step towards this and should give a clear and robust overall picture of the health status of the colony being tested and ultimately reduce the number of animals sacrificed for screening by as much as 50 Relying on one method for health monitoring potentially raises the likelihood of missing infections It could be said that the Gold Standard in health monitoring should be to detect an infectious agent in the animals themselves preferably by more than one method There could be potential to reduce the numbers of animals used further by omitting the Quarterly live screen but this may compromise the confidence in results References 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 FELASA recommendations for the health monitoring of mouse rat hamster guinea pig and rabbit colonies in breeding and experimental units Laboratory Animals 2014 Vol 48 3 pp 178 192 Dickinson A et al 2016 Caveats of PCR An overview of the caveats of PCR as a Primary Method of Laboratory Animal Health Monitoring LASA Forum Summer 2016 Leblanc M et al 2014 False Positive Results after Environmental Pinworm PCR Testing due to Rhabditid Nematodes in Corncob Bedding J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci 2014 Nov 53 6 pp 717 724 Thompson A 2012 If PCR is always the answer then perhaps you are asking the wrong questions Guest Editorial Laboratory Animals Europe Vol 12 8 Aug 2012 Dickinson A et al 2015 Comparison of faecal PCR with traditional methods in the detection of Syphacia obvelata and Pasteurella pneumotropica Poster Animal Technology and Welfare 14 3 pp 221 222 Contaminating DNA can give false positives in Sentinel Free health monitoring by PCR on IVC exhaust air dust samples Poster Hazelby O et al Laboratory Animal Science Association Annual Conference November 2016 Efficacy of Direct Detection of Pathogens in Naturally Infected Mice by Using a High Density PCR Array Henderson K S et al JAALAS Nov 2013 Vol 52 6 p 763772 Acknowledgements Thank you to Alistair Thompson Harry Donnelly Owen Hazelby Frank Ward and Dave Pimbley for their support 231
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 47 Page 232 Animal Technology and Welfare December 2017 Instructions to Authors Subjects considered for publication may include original articles technical notes and reviews pertaining to all aspects of animal science and technology management and education The Editorial Board wishes to offer particular encouragement to papers leading to improvements in environmental enrichment the general care and welfare of the animals used in particular those species and strains exhibiting harmful genetic defects and papers describing refinements in techniques a reduction in the number of animals that need to be used or alternatives to animal use The relevant ar ticle must clearly indicate where photographs and or graphs are to be inserted Address for submission atw iat org uk Papers describing experimental procedures will only be accepted for publication if authors clearly state that the procedures conform to the prevailing principles and Codes of Practice of the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 Papers submitted from outside the U K should state what legislation and or ethical approval the work has been carried out under In addition authors who describe surgical techniques with recovery should include details of post operative care and any analgesic therapy provided All submissions should follow the ARRIVE Animal Research Reporting of In Vivo Experiments guidelines Kilkenny C Browne WJ Cuthill IC Emerson M Altman DG 2010 Improving Bioscience Research Reporting The ARRIVE Guidelines for Repor ting Animal Research PLOS Biol 8 6 e1000412 doi 10 1371 journal pbio 1000412 Any photographs or graphs should be supplied as originals and conform to the format in 4 below The Editorial Board reser ves the right to seek independent advice on any aspect of the content of an article but the final decision on acceptance or rejection remains with the Board Submission Material submitted for publication will be considered provided that it is contributed exclusively to Animal Technology and becomes the property of the Institute of Animal Technology Hard copy The original manuscript plus two copies should be sent to the address below together with a copy on disk CD or DVD All sheets should be typewritten on one side in double spacing and serially numbered Address for submission Journal Editorial Board Chairman 5 South Parade Summertown Oxford OX2 7JL No responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage to such articles Electronic files of submissions are required together with separate files of photographs and any graphics that appear in the manuscript Electronic submissions should be sent via email via atw iat org uk alternatively manuscript plus two copies may be sent as hard copy to the address below All sheets should be typewritten on one side in double spacing with 4 cm margins and serially numbered Additionally a copy on disk should be provided or sent by email via atw iat org uk Articles for submission should be sent to Journal Editorial Board Chairman 5 South Parade Summertown Oxford OX2 7JL No responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage to such articles Format Articles may be submitted either electronically or by hard copy as follows 1 The first sheet of the article should contain the following Electronic i the full title of the paper ii the initials and last name of the author s iii the full address of the depar tment s and institution s where the work was carried out iv the address for correspondence if different to above Articles should be submitted in Word format with double spacing to the lines and all pages serially numbered Any photographs or graphs must be submitted as separate files and conform to the format in point 4 below 232 2 For the remainder of the paper the text should be
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 47 Page 233 Instructions to Authors clear and concise and where appropriate sub divided under the following headings i ii iii iv v vi vii Summary Introduction Methods Results Discussion Acknowledgements References 3 Measurements should be given in metric units see The use of S I Units 1969 British Standards Institution publication and spelling should follow that of the Oxford English Dictionary Abbreviations must be defined in full at their first appearance in the text The 24 hour clock should be used for times Words to appear in italic type should be underlined Designation of inbred strains should be in accordance with the International Index of Laboratory Animals 6th edition compiled edited and published by M W Festing 1993 4 Photographs should have clear and well contrasted tone values and be in colour All illustrations charts e g histograms and graphs and photographs should be submitted separately and bear on the reverse side the author s name a number corresponding to the order in which it appears in the text e g Figure 1 and an arrow pointing to the top Journals Surname and initials of author s date title of article Name of journal in full volume number first and last page numbers e g Saigeman S 1998 Environmental enhancement of cats what why how Animal Technology Vol 49 No 3 145 154 Books Surname and initials of author s date title of book Name of publisher Town of publisher e g Flecknell P A 1987 Laborator y Animal Anaesthesia Academic Press London Chapter from a multi author book Surname and initials of chapter author s date title of chapter In title of book surname and initials of book editors Name of publisher Town of publisher first and last page numbers of chapter e g Gregory J A 1985 Principles of Animal Husbandry In Laboratory Animals An Introduction for Experimenters Second Edition Tuffrey A A John Wiley Sons Ltd Chichester 87 105 Papers accepted for publication but not yet published should be included in the list of references followed by in press Papers in preparation personal communications and unpublished observations should be referred to as such in the text only Illustrations charts and photographs supplied on disk should be in JPEG TIFF or EPS formats and have a resolution of no less than 300dpi Content The captions for illustrations charts and photographs should be typed in double spacing in numerical order on a separate sheet of paper Papers describing procedures involving the use of animals should always include full details of the animals and husbandry conditions used These would be as follows 5 References Only essential references should be included Authors are responsible for verifying them against the original source material ATW uses the Vancouver referencing system references should be identified in the text by superscript Arabic numbers e g 12 after any punctuation and numbered and listed at the end of the paper in the order of when they are first cited in the text Automatic numbering should be avoided References should include the names and initials of up to six authors If there are more than six authors only the first three should be named followed by et al Publications for which no author is apparent may be attributed to the organisation from which they originate Simply omit the name of the author for anonymous journal articles avoid using Anonymous References should be set out as follows Animals Species Breed or strain Sex Age and weight at start of procedure Genetic status inbred outbred hybrid mutant Source Microbiological status conventional specified pathogen free define which pathogens animals are free from gnotobiotic define which microorganisms are present Quarantine or acclimatisation period Husbandry during procedure Type of housing material size cage type if relevant Number of animals per cage or unit Bedding type quality any pretreatment 233
Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 Instructions to Authors Type of system conventional barrier ventilated rack isolator Environmental temperature C range Relative Humidity range Lighting natural artificial state hours of light and dark Ventilation number of air changes per hour Period of acclimatisation before start of procedure Feed type composition any pretreatment amount frequency Water type quality any pretreatment amount frequency Scientific procedure Number of animals and any pretreatment Time of day of procedure s Quantity and frequency of any samples Statistics Tests used should be named Reprints Free reprints are no longer provided but the ATW Editorial Board are happy to provide PDF files of articles after publication Use of these files is subject to Copyright restrictions 234 11 47 Page 234
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Dec ATW_2 705448662 e S Animal Technology and Welfare 1 12 17 11 47 Page 240 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS December 2017 Allentown Inc OBC ARMIS R W Associates xv AS ET xvi Bell Isolation Systems vi Contec xvii Datesand IFC vii xv Institute of Animal Technology v xiv xviii IPS Product Supplies Ltd IBC LBS iii PFI Systems iv Special Diets Services viii Surrey Diagnostics Ltd xiii Tecniplast UK x
