| 4.1 | RSPCA Australia believes that animals used in research or teaching must only be sourced from licensed breeding or animal supply establishments or under AEC approval where certain conditions are met relating to health and welfare requirements and standards of care, which are assessed by a recognised competent body and deemed acceptable. An accessible database should list individual animals so that birth-to-death tracking of individuals can be undertaken. Appropriate records must be maintained for verification purposes regarding traceability of animals and standards of care. |
| 4.2 | RSPCA Australia is opposed to the use of animals captured from the wild for research in a laboratory setting, due to the welfare risks associated with breeding, capture, handling, transport, and confinement and disruption of social groups in captivity, unless there is clear justification on conservation grounds. |
| 4.3 | RSPCA Australia is opposed to animals being bred in excess, in order to meet fluctuating demands for particular characteristics, or to be continuously bred to maintain specific lines, leading to unnecessary wastage of animals’ lives. Researchers and breeders must work together to improve their forward planning to prevent overbreeding. |
| 4.4 | RSPCA Australia advocates that persons in charge of animals must implement strategies to ensure animals are suitable for rehoming (including preparation such as appropriate socialisation) that meets ethical and welfare considerations and so that animals will be able to live a natural life span with a good quality of life. |
| 4.5 | Where dead animals or tissue from dead animals are used for research or teaching, these are sourced ethically; meaning that animals were managed humanely, killed humanely or euthanased to relieve intractable suffering. |
(adopted 5/12/2020)
