To improve animal welfare in Switzerland, we need to understand not only how many animals and which species are used but also how they are used. By analysing 27 years of publicly available data, this report examines trends in the number of animal uses and their severity classification.
We highlight changes over time across different species and research areas, as well as the patterns of severity degrees within individual studies.
Over the past 10 years, the number of animals experiencing higher levels of burden (severity degrees 2 and 3) has slightly increased, mainly due to the growing use of mice in research on severe human diseases. In contrast, higher levels of burden for primates, cats, and dogs have significantly decreased and are now rare.
In this report, you will find a breakdown of the trends in animal use by species, research area and severity classification, providing insights to support targeted 3Rs measures and more humane research practices.
Mapping of expired licenses for animal uses in switzerland: https://swiss3rcc.org/severity-map-licences