Avoiding mortality in animal research and testing

The RSPCA has published an 18-page report from two workshops, held by the RSPCA, LASA, LAVA and the IAT at the University of Cambridge in September 2017 and October 2018. The workshops focused on mortality since under EU and UK law actual severity is assumed to be severe if an animal is found dead in its cage when undergoing a scientific procedure and the death is likely to be due to the procedure, unless an informed decision can be made that severe suffering did not occur before death. The report includes both ways to reduce the number of animals found dead, and also challenges perceived scientifix or regulatory requirements for death as an endpoint.