Research Animal Behavioral Management Programs for the 21st Century

Simple Summary Continued evolution of how research animals are kept and cared for is vital for respecting the 3Rs of replacement, reduction, and refinement. How animals feel forms the basis for their behavior and for determining their welfare on a day-to-day basis. We propose broad use of an updated behavioral management program approach that emphasizes considering the full range of research animal needs and the outcomes that are desired when manipulating their environment. Use of this approach will improve animal welfare but also the quality of the science obtained from working with these animals. Behavioral management programs have been developed commonly for research dogs and primates but rarely has program consideration been expanded to include all research species worked with. This is necessary to reduce animal stress and promote natural behaviors, which can promote good animal welfare and result in more robust and reproducible scientific data. We describe the evolution of consideration for research animal needs and define an umbrella-based model of research animal behavioral management programs, which may be used for all research species. In addition to developing a more comprehensive program, we emphasize the need for regular welfare assessments to determine whether the program is working cohesively and whether any aspects require modification.