Animal Welfare at the FLI

To protect laboratory animals, animal experiments in Germany are subject to strict regulations. 

An application for each animal experiment must be submitted to the competent authority – in the case of the FLI, the Thuringian State Office for Consumer Protection (TLV). The application goes through a multi-stage review process that follows the globally accepted 3R principle (-> Animal Experiments at FLI, LINK).

First, animal welfare officers appointed at the FLI review the application; in a second step, the authority examines it together with a supporting commission. The main question is whether the scientific necessity/indispensability of an animal experiment has been established, i.e. whether there are really no alternative methods that could be used to answer the research question.

In addition, the authority examines whether the animal experiment is justifiable with regard to the protection of animals laid down in the German Constitution (§ 20) and in the Animal Protection Act (§1) and checks whether the anticipated suffering of an animal in an experiment is in acceptable proportion to the potential gain in knowledge. In addition, it evaluates the extent to which the number of experimental animals used is actually necessary to obtain meaningful research results (plausibility) and checks which measures are taken to reduce the actual stress on the animals in the experiment (e.g. administration of painkillers or habituation to humans through animal training).

Any institution that carries out animal experiments – including the FLI – must appoint at least one qualified person to ensure that animal welfare is observed internally and to monitor this (animal welfare officer). This internal self-regulation is laid down in Germany’s Animal Welfare Act (§ 10) as well as in the Animal Welfare Regulation Governing Experimental Animals (§ 5) and is unique in this form both in Europe and throughout the world.

The duties of animal welfare officers are regulated by law and may only be exercised by qualified veterinarians who have completed further training in laboratory animal science, a separate scientific field within veterinary medicine. Another requirement is that animal welfare officers remain independent and free to perform their duties without interference. 

This means that animal protection officers can present their concerns and suggestions directly to the board of directors/institute management. If they order the discontinuation of an animal experiment, this must be complied with and the animal welfare officers must not suffer any disadvantages as a result.

The main tasks of the animal welfare officer are:

• To ensure compliance with animal welfare within the framework of legal requirements, terms and conditions
• To work towards the implementation of the 3R principle
• To advise scientists with regard to the planning, performance and documentation of animal experiments
• To communicate with the authorities
• To monitor the conditions in which the test animals are kept and the conducting of experiments with the corresponding documentation
• To submit input to the animal welfare committee
• To support the training of animal care staff as well as scientific personnel.

In cooperation with the animal welfare officers, an animal welfare committee monitors compliance with animal welfare. The establishment of such a committee is required by law at facilities that conduct animal experiments.

At the FLI, members of the animal protection committee include one or more animal facility managers as well as selected animal caretakers and scientists. The task of the committee is to support the animal welfare officers in fulfilling their duties to ensure animal welfare. This means that both decide jointly on regulations relevant to animal welfare and determine measures to ensure and improve animal welfare at the FLI.

Topics addressed by the animal welfare committee at the FLI include the following:

• Better equipment (enrichment) of mouse cages and fish tanks
• Optimization of animal handling
• Research, testing and implementation of alternative methods that can replace animal experiments or render animal interventions superfluous (non-invasive methods)
• Effective pain management for fish
• Providing advice and information on the above-mentioned points for all employees working with animals in animal experiments
• Establishment of internal workflow procedures to monitor animal welfare.

The FLI strives to communicate transparently and openly about animal experiments. This applies to this website as well as to our publications or media releases. 

In addition, we engage in direct dialog with the public about this at events - for example, on the occasion of the Long Night of Sciences in Jena.

In 2022, the FLI has joined the Initiative Transparent Animal Experiments (in German only). 

Launched by various science organizations, the initiative aims to further promote transparent and open discussion on research involving animals.

"Understanding Animal Research" is an initiative of German science with the goal to inform comprehensively and fact-based on animal experiments. 

This initiative is coordinated by the Alliance of Scientific Organizations. The FLI as part of the Leibniz Association supports the initiative "Understanding Animal Research".