Information about the number of animals used for scientific purposes in Germany, the species of those animals, and the severity and purposes of animal experiments in Germany can be found on the websites of the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).
The veterinarians working in the Animal Management and Welfare department are responsible for supervision and internal quality and compliance control regarding animal welfare, hygiene management, and veterinary care of the laboratory animals. Professionally trained animal caretakers are responsible for the daily care and training of the animals. Of these, some are specialized as masters of laboratory animal care and professional animal trainers. Furthermore, in vivo scientists plan the experiments and apply for the necessary ethical licenses from the respective authorities. Specialist in vivo technicians are also involved in experiment planning and execution.
Representatives of these groups form the Animal Welfare Committee at NUVISAN ICB. The committee supervises, discusses, and consults on animal welfare topics at NUVISAN ICB.
Professional training, continuous improvement, and optimization of animal welfare are a major focus and encouraged at NUVISAN ICB. We believe that well-trained personnel are key to high-level research and animal welfare. Furthermore, employees at NUVISAN ICB are supported in continuous improvement of animal welfare and presenting their knowledge, insights, and experience at national and international conferences. Staff members also present their animal welfare and refinement projects and results at, for example, the GV-Solas, IGTP, and FELASA meetings. Current topics are gentle handling (e.g., tunneling, cupping) and the improvement of animal training and housing conditions.
