Tens of millions of animals are used around the world every year in scientific research and testing. They are mostly used to develop and test treatments for human conditions and to understand human biology, but also to develop veterinary treatments for other animals and to obtain fundamental knowledge.
The most commonly used animals are mice, fish and rats, but many other species including monkeys, cats, dogs, horses and pigs are also used.
For the foreseeable future many animals will continue to be used in research. Whilst animals are used it is important to look for ways to improve their lives and reduce the impacts of research upon them.
UFAW has worked since its foundation in 1926 to improve the welfare of animals used in research by supporting scientific studies to understand and improve their welfare alongside education and training to improve the lives of animals used for scientific purposes worldwide. You can find out more about how UFAWs work in this area, including the 3Rs concept (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) developed by Russell and Burch whilst they were working for UFAW in the 1950s, here. UFAW has supported developments in all of the 3Rs which have resulted in improvements to the welfare of millions of animals.
