Helping animals THROUGH WELFARE SCIENCE

Transcription

1 Heping animas THROUGH WELFARE SCIENCE SCIENCE GROUP REVIEW OF Pubished February 2013

2 Foreword As an internationay acknowedged centre of expertise, the RSPCA Science Group provides a sound scientific base from which the RSPCA works to advance the cause of anima wefare effectivey and efficienty. A great strength of the RSPCA is that we strive to base our poicies, activities and approaches to promoting anima wefare on scientific evidence and practica experience. This gives the organisation credibiity with its supporters, the genera pubic and decision makers, as we as heping to ensure we make the right decisions for anima wefare. The RSPCA Science Group consists of approximatey 25 postgraduate and postdoctora anima wefare scientists. We aim to be a we respected authority on a wide range of anima wefare science through gathering, assessing and presenting comprehensive scientific and technica information and advice on many reevant issues. In order to promote practica advances in anima wefare, we engage activey with poicy and decision makers in governments, industry and the wider community, both nationay and internationay, Our work to support the anima wefare activities of the RSPCA is wide ranging and incudes, for exampe, the deveopment of the RSPCA standards for the wefare of farmed animas that underpin the Freedom Food scheme. This atest edition of the RSPCA Science Group Review of 2012 highights some of the most significant anima wefare issues of the past year, aong with key activities undertaken by the speciaist scientific and veterinary staff within the four departments of the RSPCA Science Group, as we as RSPCA widife centres and anima hospitas. We hope you find this Review both interesting and informative. Pease circuate it freey to coeagues. For futher detais about the ongoing work of the RSPCA Science Group visit group. Heping animas through wefare science 2 Science group review of 2012

3 Contents Companion animas Joining forces 5 RSPCA icensing conditions 5 Puppy power 6 Pedigree dogs 6 Mode icence conditions 6 Born to suffer 6 Pet schoo 7 Rabbit wefare in the UK 7 Understanding dog behaviour 8 Engaging with decision makers 8 RSPCA anima hospitas 9 Farm animas A strong evidence base for farm anima wefare 11 Deveoping RSPCA wefare standards 12 Farm ivestock officers 12 Green Food Project 12 AssureWe advances assessment of wefare on farms 13 Dairy New open water standards for ducks 14 Pig Heath and Wefare Counci: new sub-group 14 Chicken wefare assessment centre Engaging with decision makers 15 Research animas New anima experiments aw for the UK 17 Ending severe suffering 18 Deivering internationa training Rodent wefare 19 Geneticay atered animas reduction and refinement 20 Ethica review 20 Engaging with decision makers 21 Widife Hedgehog hibernation pattern tracking project Primates kept as pets 23 Wid anima 'pets' 24 Badger cu controversy 24 RSPCA East Winch Widife Centre RSPCA Maydams Wood Widife Centre 25 RSPCA Stapeey Grange Widife Centre RSPCA East Winch Widife Centre 26 Engaging with decision makers Science group review of

4 James Yeates BVSc BSc DWEL DipECAWBM(WSEL) PhD MRCVS Head of department Samantha Gaines BSc MSc PhD Deputy head Caire Cader BSc MSc Senior scientific officer (unti ) Rache Roxburgh BSc Lisa Richards BSc Anna Caxton BSc MSc Kerry Westwood BSc PhD (unti ) Sophie Hacking BSc (from ) Jenna Kiddie BSc MSc PhD (unti ) Scientific officers Caro Anne Bu Office manager (unti ) Companion animas The RSPCA heps many thousands of companion animas every year, either directy through rescue and rehoming or through focussed educationa initiatives and engaging with various stakehoders. This year has seen a number of initiatives incuding major campaigns on rabbits and pedigree dogs; the aunch of the puppy contract; severa promising governmenta initiatives, especiay in Waes; fruitfu coaborations with the horseracing industry and pet shops and a major investment in behavioura training within RSPCA anima centres. The RSPCA companion animas department heps to direct and support this work. The department's scientists have a wide range of experience incuding kenneing, cinica behaviour, enrichment and ethics aongside years of practica experience in anima centres, RSPCA branches, pet shops and veterinary practice. Our speciaist knowedge, combined with rigorous ethica anayses of our responsibiities, aows us to make best use of scientific evidence to hep animas. Evidence from experience inside and outside the department as we as a deep engagement with carers and poicymakers heps us to meet the specific wefare needs of the animas in RSPCA care. Joe Murphy (x2), Becky Murray/RSPCA Photoibrary 4 Science group review of

5 Joining forces In Juy 2012, the RSPCA entered into a ground-breaking partnership with Pets at Home that coud see major advances in the wefare of pets. Both organisations expect there to be a range of potentia anima wefare benefits incuding: promoting RSPCA-rescued animas in desperate need of oving homes pooing of information hed by both organisations about the number of animas rehomed, neutered or microchipped to revea key anima wefare trends and data that coud be used to improve education campaigns and provision of services providing the right advice and products to potentia owners, and communicating cear messages on responsibe pet ownership, to reduce the number of peope taking on an anima without cear knowedge of how to care for them deveoping joint promotiona work, giving specific advice to peope on the dietary and wefare needs of rabbits and other pets. To support the RSPCA s work with Pets at Home, the RSPCA companion animas department has been deveoping jointy branded pet care iterature based on current scientific research and RSPCA fied expertise. The aim of the iterature is to ensure customers are making the right decision when introducing a new pet to the famiy and have the information they need to keep their pets happy and heathy. The iterature covers a range of species and topics incuding chinchias, hamsters, gerbis, traveing with your pet and fea and worm treatments. The companion animas department is working cosey with coeagues in other departments and Pets at Home to deveop a range of product kits for cats, dogs and rabbits. These products have been chosen to encourage responsibe pet ownership and to hep owners meet the wefare needs of their pets The RSPCA aso aunched its first in-store adoption centre in Pets at Home s fagship store in Stockport on the 26th November This is the first time the RSPCA has opened an adoption centre in a retai environment and the companion animas department was cosey invoved in the design of the centre and deveoping guidance to ensure the wefare needs of the animas whist housed. It wi provide the RSPCA with a unique opportunity to find new homes for cruey treated and negected cats, dogs and rabbits. Customers can aso seek advice on pet care and information about other RSPCA animas avaiabe for adoption in the oca area. This is the first of severa centres panned across Engand and Waes. RSPCA icensing conditions In March, 2012, the RSPCA aunched a review of the RSPCA Licensing Conditions used in RSPCA anima centres. The companion animas department has worked cosey with coeagues in the veterinary department to coate and review anima wefare research for the range of companion animas in our care. The review and eventua dissemination of the new conditions wi ensure that the wefare needs of the animas in our care are met to the extent required by good practice, underpinned by the most recent scientific evidence. This project aso invoves coaboration with coeagues in the fied to ensure that a conditions set are practica for staff caring for the animas. Evidence-based guidance is aso being produced to offer further support to those that foow and enforce them. It is anticipated that the new version of the RSPCA Licensing Conditions wi be aunched in Science group review of

6 Puppy power The companion animas department has been working with the British Veterinary Association Anima Wefare Foundation (BVA AWF) to deveop a puppy saes contract and puppy information pack (PIP) which were aunched in Apri The contract and PIP empower puppy buyers to make propery informed decisions when buying a puppy and hep them avoid the probems that can arise from buying a puppy from an irresponsibe breeder. Puppy buyers can use the information provided by the breeder or seer to make a decision on whether they want to buy the puppy they have seen. For breeders and seers the contract is a record of the thought and attention they have devoted to their puppies' breeding and care. The PIP contains important information about the puppy and his/ her parents, and is tied into the contract which contains a warranty from the seer that the information in the PIP is true and compete. Accompanying guidance notes expain the reevance of the information in the PIP to the wefare of the puppy. The contract can be used for a puppies, whether they are pedigree or not, and by any breeder or seer. The puppy contract and PIP are endorsed by many key anima wefare organisations and can be downoaded from: Pedigree dogs Throughout 2012, the RSPCA companion animas department has been continuing important work on the wefare issues associated with pedigree dog breeding. Three major reports on dog breeding have been pubished in the UK 1 in the ast three years, incuding an independent scientific report commissioned by the companion animas department. Each of the reports concuded that the wefare issues associated with pedigree dog breeding are very serious, and that urgent action is needed to improve and protect the wefare of pedigree dogs. Each report aso incuded a series of recommendations for possibe ways forward these have informed the department s activities on this significant anima wefare issue over the ast three years. A three reports on dog breeding identified an urgent need for the systematic coection of data on the occurrence of inherited diseases from first-opinion veterinary practices. Consequenty, throughout 2012 the companion animas department have continued to fund a VetCompass PhD research project with the Roya Veterinary Coege and the University of Sydney. It is not just dogs that are affected by wefare issues from seective breeding, so the PhD study aims to estimate the prevaence of inherited and acquired disorders in both dogs and cats to highight breeds at greatest risk of specific conditions. Work on the VetCompass project started in October 2010 and, by the end of 2012, VetCompass hed cinica data on over 184,000 cats and 232,000 dogs. More information is avaiabe on the VetCompass project website at: Mode icence conditions Throughout 2012, we have continued working with other wefare organisations, oca authorities and reevant industry bodies to review mode icence conditions for private boarding estabishments for cats. The current icence condition guideines are based on The Anima Boarding Estabishments Act 1963, but with the introduction of the Anima Wefare Act (AWA) 2006 these guideines have become outdated. The working group is reviewing the conditions to ensure that they are in ine with the AWA and contain a of the information needed to ensure the wefare of cats boarded at these estabishments. In 2012, a simiar review of the mode icence conditions for dog breeding estabishments began, to ensure that the wefare needs of a dogs at breeding estabishments are met. Work on this wi continue in Born to suffer The RSPCA s Bred for ooks, born to suffer campaign was aunched in December 2011 and seeks an end to the breeding of dogs based on appearance. The onine petition cas for breed standards to be changed so that they prioritise the heath, wefare and temperament of a dog over its ooks. At the end of 2012 the petition had over 20,000 signatures, indicating this is an issue that the pubic aso fee very strongy about. More information is avaiabe on the campaign website: 1. Pedigree Dog Breeding in the UK: A Major Wefare Concern? commissioned by the RSPCA is avaiabe at: A Heathier Future for Pedigree Dogs by the Associate Pariamentary Group for Anima Wefare (APGAW) is avaiabe at: The Independent Inquiry Into Dog Breeding, commissioned by the Kenne Cub and the Dogs Trust is avaiabe at: Andrew Linscott, Joe Murphy (x2), Phiip Toscano/RSPCA Photoibrary 6 Science group review of

7 Pet schoo An exciting opportunity to promote responsibe pet ownership invoved the companion animas department working with the RSPCA s Performing Animas Consutancy on the Pet Schoo teevision series. Commissioned by the BBC, the series was fimed during August and aired as a season of programmes about pets in December 2012 on BBC 1 and CBBC. Nine chidren who wanted to get a pet were chosen to take part, competing daiy husbandry tasks, earning about animas from a range of visitors and spending time with their own pet. Featuring a wide range of companion, exotic and farm anima species, many of the animas used were suppied by rescue organisations, incuding the RSPCA, and so were ooking for a home at the time of fiming. Throughout the series, there was a strong emphasis on promoting the idea that chidren thoroughy research their choice of pet, incuding where to source their anima from, how much is invoved in caring for a pet and the poor wefare outcomes if peope are irresponsibe pet owners. The series cuminated with the chidren s parents deciding if their chid was capabe of ooking after their chosen pet at home. A member of the RSPCA companion animas team worked as an independent anima wefare advisor on the series, offering advice to the production team on a aspects of the animas wefare, incuding accommodation design and husbandry advice. Anima wefare risk assessments were produced to ensure that a members of the production team understood their responsibiities for the animas wefare. The RSPCA advisor was present during fiming and post-production support was aso offered by assisting in the editing process to guide the production in the programme s messaging. More information about the Performing Animas Consutancy and the work it does can be found by visiting: Rabbit wefare in the UK Improving companion rabbit wefare is a top priority for the RSPCA. What Bugs a Bunny? the RSPCA's rabbit wefare campaign was officiay aunched in June. The campaign aims to change the common perception that rabbits are easy pets to keep, increase understanding of their compex needs and utimatey improve rabbit wefare. The campaign is based on the findings of an RSPCA-commissioned study into the state of rabbit wefare in the UK, conducted at the Univeristy of Bristo by a team of wefare scientists, behaviourists and vets. The 16-month study investigated the husbandry, housing, behaviour and heath of the UK rabbit popuation and sheds ight on the most important rabbit wefare issues. The resuts of the study are due to be pubished in Through extensive press coverage, onine videos and socia media activities, the first part of the campaign Hay Fever promoted the importance of feeding rabbits the correct diet of mainy hay and grass. This topic was chosen because the Bristo study identified a ack of grass and hay in rabbits diets as one of the key wefare issues affecting companion rabbits in the UK. In September, the campaign focussed on the issue of preventative heath care through Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW). The RSPCA is an officia partner of RAW, which aims to raise awareness of the wefare needs of pet rabbits. RSPCA centres and branches ran rabbit education events and offered free heath checks in association with oca veterinary practices. This year s theme was the importance of reguar veterinary heath checks and vaccinations against Myxomatosis and Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease. The Bristo study found that these two diseases were rated by experts as the wefare issues that cause the most intense suffering to pet rabbits. The RSPCA has aso funded a further study at the University of Bristo to investigate the spatia needs of pair-housed rabbits. The findings of this study wi form the basis for new evidence-based rabbit housing guideines which the RSPCA hopes to aunch in The ongoing campaign wi seek to address other priority rabbit wefare issues in 2013 and beyond, incuding suitabe housing and companionship. Further detais of the campaign can be found at: Science group review of

8 Understanding dog behaviour Research has shown that young chidren are more at risk of getting bitten than any other popuation group and peope are more ikey to be bitten by a dog in their famiy than an unfamiiar one. Providing information for prospective parents and famiies with chidren can hep to safeguard both chid safety and dog wefare as we encouraging chidren and dogs to enjoy one another s company. In 2012 the RSPCA companion animas department pubished Growing up with a dog which incudes information and advice on how to prepare a dog for the arriva of a new-born baby. The eafet aso advises on how to hep chidren earn about dogs as we as providing invauabe pointers to understanding dog behaviour and communication. This eafet can aso be downoaded at: Posta workers reguary come into contact with unfamiiar dogs and around 6,000 empoyees are injured every year. Most dogs show aggression because they fee threatened so understanding how to avoid such situations can hep protect human safety and dog wefare. In 2012, funding received from Posta Audits, the UK s argest mai auditing company, was used to produce both onine advice for those who reguary come into contact with dogs, as we as a eafet which expains why dogs use aggression and what to do when meeting an unfamiiar dog. For further information go to: Engaging with decision makers Membership of committees and working groups Mode icence conditions kenne and cattery group. Mode icence conditions dog breeding estabishments group. Dog breeding stakehoder group. Meetings and events Status dog summit, University of Warwick. Equine summit, Horsham, West Sussex. Emotiona Enrichment workshop hed at Hunter Coege, New York City. Dog breeding stakehoder group meeting to discuss the RSPCA/BVA AWF Puppy contract. Attended pane sessions for APGAW. Meetings with various eected poiticians across a parties. Meetings with Anima Heath and Wefare Board for Engand. Advised British Horseracing Authority. Spoke at conferences on euthanasia and dog popuation contro. Spoke at UK party poitica conference fringe events (with Bue Cross). Lectured at Bristo, Cambridge and Gasgow. Chaired cat neutering workshops to coordinate efforts based on research. Association of Pet Behaviour Counseors (APBC) annua feine conference, Northants. Feine Advisory Bureau annua conference, Basingstoke. London Vet Show, Oympia. Joint meeting of the Advisory Counci and the Dog Wefare Review Board. Meeting with Grey2KUSA. RSPCA Cymru Annua Gaa Dinner and aunch of the Dog Wefare Indicators report. Companion Anima Wefare Counci (CAWC) Companion Anima Sector Counci (CASC) joint meeting, House of Lords. Rabbit Wefare Association & Fund Annua Conference: Rabbit Interactive, Cambridgeshire. Responses to consutations incuded the foowing: Wesh Government Second consutation on the draft Anima Wefare (Breeding of Dogs) (Waes) Reguations Compusory microchipping of dogs. APGAW Dog Breeding Update report. Defra Tacking irresponsibe dog ownership. Proposa to increase the fee to add a prohibited type dog to the Index of Exempted Dogs (Waes). Efra Dog contro and wefare. Roya Mai Group Ltd Independent inquiry into attacks on posta workers in the UK. Externa funding VetCompass. Scientific pubications and presentations Ensuring kenneed dog wefare a presentation at the RSPCA status dog summit. Emotiona Enrichment in captive animas a presentation at Emotiona Enrichment workshop hed at Hunter Coege, New York City. Yeates, J. (2012) Quaity Time: Ethica Approaches to the Life Worth Living Concept in Farm Anima Wefare Journa of Agricutura and Environmenta Ethics 25(4): Yeates, J.W. (2012) Economics and anima wefare in sma anima veterinary practice: the case of genetic wefare probems. Anima Wefare 21(S1): Yeates, J. (2012) How shoud veterinary surgeons adapt to achieve anima wefare? [Editoria] The Veterinary Journa 192: 6 7. Yeates, J.W. (2012) Maximising canine wefare in veterinary practice and research: A review. Veterinary Journa 192(3), Bones, V.C. & Yeates, J. (2012) The Emergence of Veterinary Oaths: Socia, Historica, and Ethica Considerations Journa of Anima Ethics 2(1): Yeates, J.W. (2012) Whiste-bowing in the veterinary profession The Veterinary Journa 191: Yeates, J.W. (2012) Brain-pain: Do animas with higher cognitive capacities fee more pain? Insights for species seection in scientific experiments? pp24-46 in K Hagen, A Schnieke, F Thiee (eds) Large animas as biomedica modes: Ethica, societa, ega and bioogica aspects. Europäische Akademie. RSPCA 8 Science group review of

9 % of pregnant cats spayed Neutering kittens eiminates the ikeihood of unpanned offspring. This itter was neutered prior to adoption any subsequent difficuty associated with scheduing a neutering appointment for an owned anima is therefore avoided. RSPCA anima hospitas Our four RSPCA anima hospitas and 38 cinics provide preventative medicine and wefare treatments for pets beonging to owners who are unabe to afford private veterinary fees. Quaity or quantity? It has been estimated that over 90 per cent 1 of cats wi be neutered during their ifetimes. Despite such a high percentage uptake, each year unwanted kittens and unpanned itters pace a significant burden on RSPCA hospitas, anima centres and branches. An un-neutered femae cat in a muti-cat househod or with outdoor access is ikey to conceive soon after puberty, which may occur from four months of age. Unpanned pregnancies may be found in amost 30 per cent of eective pubic cat neuters at RSPCA hospitas during the summer months. A widespread neutering campaign wi not achieve popuation contro if the patients have produced offspring prior to their surgica appointment. Success is ikey to invove neutering prior to puberty as we as convincing the owners of the refractory 10 per cent of cats about the importance of neutering before conception. Finding the eusive 10 per cent Rather than focusing on the tota number of neuters, the hospita is using two methods to identify those cats most ikey to contribute to pet overpopuation: 1. Anaysis of postcode data reating to pregnant cat spays beonging to charity hospita cients. 2. Anaysis of RSPCA teephone ca data reating to kitten probems within the hospita catchment area RSPCA pubic cat spays December 2005 December 2006 December 2007 December 2008 December 2009 December 2010 December 2011 This graph shows the percentage of pubic cat spays which are found to be pregnant at surgery. Each year shows a peak of reproductive activity in the summer months. An aarming number of owners are unaware of the possibiity of pregnancy in their cats. REFERENCES: 1 Vet Rec 2009 Jan 31;164(5): Survey of the characteristics of cats owned by househods in the UK and factors affecting their neutered status. Murray JK, Roberts MA, Whitmarsh A, Gruffydd-Jones TJ. RSPCA regiona anima hospita directors David Grant MBE BVetMed CertSAD FRCVS (unti ) Juie Johnson BSc BVetMed MRCVS Dip.Mgmt Rebecca Wiby BVSc BSc MRCVS David Yates BVSc MRCVS Subsequenty, cinica audit can be used to anayse hospita neutering performance. 1. When the hospita vets carry out off-site neutering at RSPCA anima estabishments, it is vita that a animas are neutered prior to adoption. The target is 100 per cent surgica steriization prior to adoption. 2. The mean age at neuter for pubic owned queens shoud reduce as prepuberta neutering is adopted. Ideay, the mean spay age shoud approach or be ower than four months for femae cats. 3. When wefare hotspots are correcty identified, hospita staff shoud be prepared to dea with a high percentage of surgica terminations of unpanned pregnancies. Each pregnant cat spay significanty eases the oca rehoming burden. Neutering prior to puberty In 2012, the RSPCA Greater Manchester Anima Hospita pubished a pain study 2 which supported the idea that neutering prior to puberty coud be accompished in a pain free manner in sma anima practice. Furthermore, hospita staff have deivered training ectures to both veterinary surgeon and nursing audiences. Prepuberta neutering is gaining popuarity as a procedure associated with reduced morbidity compared to conventiona neutering. 2. J Feine Med Surg Aug;14(8):553-9 Anagesia after ovariohysterectomy under midazoam-medetomidine-ketamine anaesthesia with buprenorphine or butorphano, and carprofen or meoxicam: a prospective, randomised cinica tria. Poson S, Tayor PM, Yates D. Science group review of

10 Juia Wratha BSc MSc PhD ChMIACE Head of department John Avizienius BA MSc Deputy head of department Marc Cooper BSc MSc PhD Senior scientific manager Aice Cark BSc Kate Parkes MA MSc Senior scientific officers Anna Fraser BSc Scientific officer: wefare outcomes assessment (unti ) Siân Phiips BSc Scientific information officer Aan Pearson OND Fied operations manager Charotte Boss BSc Roger Briddock NDA Emma Heathcote BSc Sue McCabe Phi McCarthy Lorna Sherwood BSc MSc (unti ) Farm ivestock officers Linda Amey Administrator Cary Bacon Administrative assistant (unti ) Farm animas The RSPCA farm animas department is working to improve the wefare of as many farm animas as possibe, at every stage of their ives. Hundreds of miions of farm animas are reared in the UK each year, the majority of whom are reared, transported and saughtered/kied in ways that the RSPCA beieves do not meet their behavioura and physica needs, athough egay permitted. The department s scientific and fied staff use the atest scientific research and practica experience of farm anima wefare to inform the deveopment of the RSPCA farm anima wefare poicies, as we as deveoping best practice in the care and wefare of the major species farmed in the UK, set out in the RSPCA wefare standards for farm animas. The department works to encourage improvements in farm anima wefare in a variety of ways. These incude working with the food and farming industries (such as farmers and retaiers) and governments (incuding in Engand, Waes and the EU) to improve wefare through vountary changes in practices, as we as strengthening of egisation. The department aso works to raise awareness, through media interviews, presentations, information resources and reports, of key wefare issues and how everyone can hep to improve the wefare of farm animas. Andrew Forsyth/RSPCA Photoibrary, Freedom Food 10 Science group review of

11 A strong evidence base for farm anima wefare The farm animas department beieves that the most effective approach to ensuring that the RSPCA can have a tangibe positive impact on the wefare of farm animas is to deveop the Society s poicies and practices in this area using a robust and we-considered evidence base. Part of the department s roe, faciitated by the unique coective experience, knowedge and expertise of its staff, is to gather, assess, anayse and effectivey 'transate' a wide variety of evidence sources into a usabe form that can be appied through a range of activities in order to achieve improvement in the wefare of ivestock. Sources and evauation of evidence The department gathers information from many different evidence sources. Particuar emphasis is paced on peer-reviewed, pubished scientific research, but practica tria data, recommendations and advice from expert bodies and individuas, and increasingy, vaidated wefare outcome assessment are aso considered. Individua case studies and practica demonstrations, as we as information from other speciaist organisations can aso be usefu. In addition, taking account of the nature of the source, in each case, the vaidity and robustness of the evidence is evauated by considering, among other things, the foowing: independence of the source (ikeihood of intentiona/ unintentiona bias) number and variety of sources providing simiar or same information/advice (cumuative effect) scae of the source(s) (amount of data avaiabe; sampe size) robustness of any anaysis (statistica; other) opinion of others with reevant expertise on the reiabiity/ vaue/robustness of the source(s). Appication and use of evidence The department appies evidence in a number of areas of the RSPCA s farm anima wefare work, incuding most notaby during deveopment of the RSPCA wefare standards for farm animas and wefare assessment. In addition, the RSPCA s poicies and positions on a wide variety of ivestock wefare issues, support for campaigns, externa advocacy and obbying, technica reports and other iterature are aso informed by the evidence base coected and processed by farm animas department staff. This information is aso used to evauate the impact on farm anima wefare of the activities undertaken by the RSPCA, and can aso aow effective prioritisation of those activities by judging them against the RSPCA s evauation/prioritisation criteria (e.g. scae of suffering; severity of suffering, duration/frequency of suffering; ikeihood/degree of impact). Issues such as economics, ogistics, the degree of change needed, effective knowedge transfer/training issues and attitudes/cuture a represent significant chaenges to achieving effective impementation of best knowedge and evidence, often necessitating a step-wise, considered and patient approach to eiciting progress. Lack of evidence: making decisions Despite significant and important advances in knowedge and understanding of farm anima wefare over the past few years, some key areas continue to present major chaenges due to the ack of robust evidence as to the nature, severity or scae of the anima wefare probem. For exampe, comparativey itte evidence exists in the areas of menta/psychoogica wefare and emotiona needs and states of farm animas, the eve and impact on wefare of certain physioogica states (e.g. chronic hunger in certain species/ casses of ivestock) or the variabiity in the needs of individua animas within species/casses of animas. In the absence of robust evidence, the RSPCA farm animas department bases its decisions and recommendations on a number of factors, incuding the foowing: extrapoation from evidence, experience, knowedge of simiar situations and/or species reference to/comparison with current best practice use of own primary research/experience appication of reasonabe/justifiabe anthropomorphism (e.g. quaitative behavioura assessment-type approach) appication of common sense consideration of ethica issues appication of the Precautionary Principe ( informed prudence ). Science group review of

12 Deveoping RSPCA wefare standards The RSPCA farm animas department deveops the RSPCA wefare standards for farm animas. These detaied documents aim to represent best practice in the care and wefare of farm animas and go above and beyond standard production systems and egisation in the UK, in a number of key areas. The standards cover every aspect of an anima s ife, incuding food and water provision, the environment, transportation and humane saughter/kiing. At present there are 10 sets of standards, covering the major species farmed in the UK. The standards are continuay being reviewed and revised by the department in ight of scientific evidence and practica experience and through consutation with key stakehoders. Deveopment of each set of standards is faciitated through consutation with a species-specific technica working group, which consists of producers (usuay Freedom Food members), speciaist veterinarians, anima wefare scientists, Freedom Food scheme representatives and RSPCA farm animas department scientific and fied staff. Through these Farm ivestock officers During most of 2012 the farm ivestock officers team consisted of seven members, the argest number to date. This was made possibe through a grant obtained during 2011 from the Persua Foundation, enabing the team to monitor a greater number of Freedom Food members during this year than has been previousy possibe. This had a particuar impact on the monitoring of the aquacuture sector and the East Angia area which has a high Freedom Food membership eve. The team continues to deiver Wefare Outcome Assessment (WOA) on aying hen and dairy member units after receiving training on dairy WOA in mid Severa members of the team have aso been invoved in the deveopment of pig WOA protoco see AssureWe section. The team attended a pig heath and wefare training course provided by XL Vets FarmSkis, aong with attending severa other trade shows and meetings to keep up to date with best practice and advances in farm anima wefare. This continuing professiona deveopment heps to ensure that the FLOs remain highy effective and skied deiverers of hands-on anima wefare in the fied. groups the department gathers and discusses information to inform the deveopment of the standards. By continuay reviewing the standards we can ensure that they remain at the forefront of what is achievabe in terms of anima wefare, husbandry and commercia viabiity. The standards are primariy impemented through the RSPCA s own farm assurance and food abeing scheme, Freedom Food. Farms, hauiers/transporters and abattoirs approved by the Freedom Food scheme must impement a the reevant RSPCA wefare standards and are assessed annuay by Freedom Food assessors to check compiance with the standards. In addition RSPCA Farm Livestock Officers (FLOs) conduct risked based monitoring visits, often competey unannounced, on a proportion of Freedom Food members each year, as an extra check of compiance with the standards see farm ivestock officers section. In 2012 revised editions of the RSPCA wefare standards for pigs, turkeys and farmed Atantic samon were pubished. Key changes in the RSPCA wefare standards for pigs incuded prohibiting tai docking for free-range pigs and the incusion of minimum space requirements for outdoor pig production. Within the RSPCA wefare standards for turkeys it became a requirement to provide natura ight in a houses and for farms to undertake independent wefare audits for each fock. In 2012, the RSPCA wefare standards for farmed Atantic samon introduced a banded freshwater stocking density, based on the iveweight of the fish. This new approach to freshwater stocking densities makes it easier to measure the operationa indicators which impinge upon fish wefare during these juvenie fish ifecyce stages. Green Food Project In the Natura Environment White Paper for Engand, pubished in June 2011, it was stated that government, industry and environmenta partners woud work together to expore how to improve the environment, whist at the same time increasing food production to meet the demands of an ever expanding goba popuation. The Green Food Project is the body tasked to try and achieve these goas. As the anima wefare representative on the dairy sub-group, the RSPCA sought to ensure focus on the anima wefare issues which might affect the animas invoved under such an ambitious project. A number of issues were considered, such as the indicators which define the reationship between output per hectare and technica efficiency. One of the things that the group recognised was that some environmenta impacts can be reduced by optimising efficiency, resource use and reducing waste, whist at the same time improving the heath and wefare of the catte. For exampe, by reducing mortaity and endemic disease in the herd, inputs such as feed/energy/water/and use per unit of (mik) production, woud be reduced. By teasing out some of the tensions and chaenges invoved, it was possibe to ook at how anima wefare might be affected as a resut, and advice was given in order to ensure that the progress being made in improving the wefare of the dairy cow at present is not adversey affected by the ambitious sustainabiity goas of the project in the future. We have previousy contributed to simiar initiatives in Waes. Phiip Toscano (x2)/rspca Photoibrary 12 Science group review of

13 AssureWe advances assessment of wefare on farms The five year AssureWe project, a coaborative programme between the RSPCA, the Soi Association and the University of Bristo, continued into its third year. The project has a primary aim of impementing wefare assessments into farm assurance schemes, with the RSPCA Freedom Food and the Soi Association Farm Assurance Schemes eading the way. Wefare assessments for aying hens have been deveoped and now, for over a year, a Freedom Food approved aying hen farms have been receiving a wefare assessment by both Freedom Food assessors and RSPCA farm ivestock officers. The resuts are being used to provide usefu feedback and benchmarking to producers to hep identify any probem areas and drive wefare improvement. For each wefare measure there is a target for producers to aim for, as we as a caution eve to highight where action needs to be taken. Setting these threshod eves heps producers better understand where they shoud be and aso supports assessors' decision-making on compiance. The AssureWe project has aso ed to the pubication of an industry-wide advice guide to hep tacke one of the most widespread wefare issues facing the aying hen industry: feather oss. This is typicay caused by injurious feather pecking, and sometimes aggression. The advice document was deveoped with input from the University of Bristo FeatherWe project and British Egg Industry Counci. For dairy catte, wefare measures (incuding ameness, body condition and ying comfort) have been deveoped and introduced into a Freedom Food farm assessments. AssureWe has been working with Red Tractor Dairy, which assures 95 per cent of the mik produced in Great Britain, to hep introduce these measures into their scheme. Red Tractor Dairy is currenty considering the incusion of some of the wefare measures into their dairy assessments, subject to fina consutation. This industry-wide approach wi hep generate resuts that coud be used to measure and improve wefare across the dairy industry. AssureWe is aso working with other stakehoders, incuding major retaiers, to achieve harmonisation of wefare measures and methodoogies across the dairy industry. Deveopment of wefare measures for pigs has begun, and their introduction into Freedom Food scheme assessments is panned for AssureWe is beginning to promote the use of the AssureWe measures more broady, and wi be approaching organisations, in the UK and internationay, to discuss wefare assessments and their impementation in more detai. From producer groups in the UK, to the European Food Safety Authority and standards deveopers in the USA, interest is growing in our practica and fied-tested approach to anima wefare assessment. Dairy 2020 The RSPCA was invited to participate as the soe anima wefare representative in the Dairy 2020 initiative by the Forum for the Future a eading goba sustainabe deveopment non-profit organisation to consider how a sustainabe dairy industry in the UK woud ook in the future, and what woud be the key drivers to contribute to future sustainabiity. There was aso consideration of how to feed into other major industry initiatives such as the Dairy Roadmap. Some of the key guiding principes identified by the initiative incuded improving anima wefare in particuar cow comfort when animas are housed, and aso incentivising outcome-based systems, which are focussed on deivering a positive impact on anima wefare. Minimising environmenta impact and stewarding nature through improving biodiversity, soi fertiity and nutrient avaiabiity were aso highighted as important issues. Science group review of

14 New open water standards for ducks A three-year research project, commissioned by the RSPCA and funded by The Tubney Charitabe Trust, to hep evauate and identify practica ways of providing farmed ducks with a suitabe open source of water, concuded in During 2012 the RSPCA farm animas department consuted with the duck industry, incuding producers, vets, researchers and other poutry experts, to discuss the resuts of the research and consider how best to strengthen the RSPCA wefare standards for domestic/common ducks in this area. New standards concerning the provision of open water have now been deveoped, which buid on the current requirements. These new standards take into account not ony the RSPCA-commissioned research, conducted by Cambridge University, but aso research pubished over the ast few years by other academic institutions. The new standards wi be pubished in 2013, ensuring ducks have access to bathing water that enabes them to perform their important water reated behaviours freey. This work has aso been used to inform and drive the RSPCA s Like a Duck to Water campaign, aunched in September 2012, to hep improve the rearing conditions of farmed ducks. By aw, ducks can be provided with nothing more than meta ba-bearing type water drinkers, simiar to those given to pet rabbits and hamsters. The campaign aims to raise awareness about this issue and specificay encourage retaiers to ensure the duck meat they se comes from farms where the ducks were provided with faciities aowing them fu body access to water. For more information about the campaign see: Pig Heath and Wefare Counci: new sub-group This year saw the re-aunch of the Pig Heath and Wefare Counci as a more independent and partnership-ed group, with the aim of driving forward the deivery and strategic aims of the pig industry as set out in 20:20 Pig Heath and Wefare Strategy. The RSPCA is a member of the Counci, aong with representatives from the pig industry and associated sectors, veterinary profession and governmenta agencies. As we as convening sub-groups on heath reated topics such as surveiance, agreement was reached to set up a wefare sub-group to be faciitated by the RSPCA farm animas department. The sub-group aims to achieve consensus on the important pig wefare issues to be investigated, on how to progress these, and on the utimate aims in each case. Key issues to be addressed, as identified within the 20:20 Pig Strategy, incude tai biting/docking and confinement during farrowing, athough other issues wi aso be examined e.g. teeth cipping. The sub-group wi provide the Counci with anaysis, commentary and recommendations as appropriate. Chicken wefare assessment centre At present, ony sower growing breeds of meat chickens can be used by producers who are members of the RSPCA s Farm Assurance scheme, Freedom Food. This is because fast growth rates can significanty contribute to the deveopment of severe wefare probems in chickens, such as chronic eg disorders and heart probems. Consequenty, the RSPCA wefare standards for chickens, which must be impemented by Freedom Food members, state that the average daiy genetic growth rate of a bird must not exceed 45g. However, there are imitations to the effectiveness of this standard as a mechanism for safeguarding chicken wefare. It is the broier breeding companies that determine and provide the data on the genetic growth rate potentia of their chickens, and they do not appy a standardised process to estabish this figure. In addition, as the genetic growth rate potentia of a breed is often arrived at using data from a number of different sources, incuding fied trias by producers, it does not necessariy refect the true genetic growth potentia of a breed. These issues make it difficut to ascertain a breed s true genetic growth rate. Further, growth rate ony offers an indirect measure of wefare and, as such, does not offer any guarantees either way about a breed's actua eve of wefare. Athough these issues have not hindered significant progress in this area to date, the RSPCA has for a ong time recognised the chaenges associated with this approach in ensuring ony breeds with an acceptabe eve of wefare are used within the scheme. Since 2008, the RSPCA has been working on deveoping a new approach, and has now fuy deveoped an RSPCA-approved protoco to assess the wefare of different breeds, which is to be appied at an RSPCA approved Wefare Assessment Centre. Here, meat Andrew Forsyth x2/rspca Photoibrary 14 Science group review of

15 chickens are reared and assessed for a number of wefare parameters, incuding eg heath, hock burn, foot pad burn and mortaity. This provides independent, meaningfu information regarding the wefare of a breed which is used to inform a decision as to whether a breed shoud be accepted for use under the RSPCA standards. We therefore have direct and specific information reating to the wefare of a breed and avoid having to assume the eve of wefare based on its growth rate. A Wefare Assessment Centre was identified and the new approach successfuy triaed during The RSPCA Wefare Standards for Chickens wi be amended in 2013 to refect this new approach. Engaging with decision makers Exampes of membership of committees and working groups Scotand s Rura Coege gamebird housing project steering group (funded by Defra). Red Tractor Dairy Technica Advisory Committee (TAC). Catte Heath and Wefare Group (CHAWG). Sheep Heath and Wefare Group (SHAWG). Pig Heath and Wefare Counci (PHWC). Genetics Advisory Forum (GAF). Seas, Aquacuture and Samon working group. Poutry Wefare Forum. US Humane Farm Anima Care Scientific Standards Committee. Farm Anima Wefare Forum. Department for Environment, Food and Rura Affairs (Defra): Beak trimming action and steering groups. Expert Advisory Group for the Defra funded EU Broier Directive Impementation Review Project. Core Stakehoder Group for the Post Impementation Review of the EU Broier Directive. Wesh Government Anima Heath and Wefare Strategy Impementation Group. Universities/research institutes/research projects University of Bristo aying hen fitness to trave project steering group (funded by Defra). BPEX wefare outcomes (Rea Wefare) project steering group. AssureWe Broier Outcomes Project Group. Exampes of key meetings/events in 2012 Meetings with the British Egg Industry Counci to discuss compiance with the change in aw banning barren battery cages in Europe. Meetings and visits to turkey farms to investigate indoor turkey production standards. Meeting with pet hen housing company to discuss requirements for aying hens. Participated in the British Free Range Egg Producers Association conference and discussed issues with producers at a stand for Freedom Food. With RSPCA inspectorate, meeting with the Farm Crisis Network (FCN) to deveop an operationa agreement to inform and suppy RSPCA inspectorate and farm animas department fied staff with information to use in certain on-farm crisis situations. Provide expert advice/anaysis whist accompanying the Farm Anima Wefare Committee (FAWC) to Scotand to ook at fish farming and fish saughter. Participated in meetings with RSPCA inspectorate with AHVLA offices and Kent poice to discuss issues reating to ive transport overseas of animas from Kent ports. Meeting with Hostein UK to discuss the atest deveopments in dairy cow genetics. Inspected the faciities to accommodate farm animas invoved in the ive transport overseas from Ramsgate, Dover and Newhaven ports. Visited sites, and discussed/advised on the issues associated with the buiding of a major new freshwater samon hatchery in Scotand, intended to conform to RSPCA wefare standards. Participated in Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) workshop on pig transport journey times. Participated in British Pig Executive (BPEX) Research and Deveopment future strategy workshop. Participated in and presented at the Red Tractor Technica Advisory Committee (Pigs) on wefare outcomes assessment and the AssureWe project. Participated in industry organised Pig Assurance Summit to discuss key issues regarding assurance. Interview with Poutry Word regarding the aunch of the RSPCA Wefare Pedge for farm animas. Meeting with BBC food and farming TV series producer to discuss key farming issues concerning farm anima wefare and encourage coverage. Visited UK duck production company to discuss and advise on wefare issues reating to the provision of open water. Visited equipment manufacturer to examine, discuss and provide view on nove rearing system for broiers. Visited and discussed new hatchery system for meat chickens and barn system for aying hens in the Netherands. Exampes of responses to consutations in 2012 Red Tractor Farm Assurance Pig Standards. FAWC consutation on the evidence base for the wefare of farm ivestock. KFC independent study regarding stakehoder perceptions of the company. Interview with Agra CEAS regarding impementation of new farm anima saughter reguations. Consutation on revised saughter and kiing reguations (Engand; Waes). Exampes of presentations during 2012 Harper Adams University Coege presentation to fina year degree students on farm anima wefare. Iowa State University on the work of the RSPCA farm animas department and the AssureWe project. FAWC on the RSPCA wefare standards for farmed Atantic samon. Norfok Pig Discussion group on tai biting and tai docking. Pig producer group meeting on the work of the farm animas department, RSPCA wefare standards for pigs and Freedom Food. FAWC on how the Farm Animas Department gathers, anayses and appies the evidence base for farm anima wefare. Papers pubished in 2012: Main, D.C.J., Muan, S., Atkinson, C., Bond, A., Cooper, M., Fraser, A. and Browne, W.J. (2012).Wefare outcomes assessment in aying hen farm assurance schemes. Anima Wefare, 21: Science group review of

16 Maggy Jennings OBE BSc PhD Head of department Penny Hawkins BSc PhD Deputy head Barry Phiips BSc PhD (unti ) Barney Reed BSc MSc Nikki Osborne BSc PhD Eiot Liey BSc PhD (from ) Senior scientific officers Rita Macom Cathryn Grimbe (unti ) Administrative staff Research animas The Society iaises with those invoved in anima use in government, industry and academia to promote initiatives that: deveop effective processes of ethica review ead to fuer impementation of the 3Rs.* * The 3Rs are: repacement of animas with humane aternatives, reduction of anima use, and refinement of husbandry and procedures to reduce suffering and improve wefare throughout the animas ives. 16 Science group review of Andrew Forsyth (x3)/rspca photoibrary Animas are used for many different purposes in research and testing and each area of use raises specific ethica, wefare and scientific issues. The RSPCA adopts a constructive, practica approach, judging every issue individuay, criticay questioning the necessity and justification for anima use and arguing the need to reduce the confict between the interests of animas and of science. Our primary aim is the repacement of anima experiments with humane aternatives wordwide. Unti this can be achieved, we work to hep ensure that the minimum numbers of animas are used and that they experience the minimum suffering and have the best possibe quaity of ife.

17 New anima experiments aw for UK 2012 proved to be a significant year in shaping the future reguatory andscape for anima research and testing in the UK. Since the European Directive on the Protection of Animas used for Scientific Purposes 1 was agreed back in November 2010, the 27 member states of the European Union have each had to undertake work to ensure that they have made the necessary provisions for transposing the requirements of the Directive into their own nationa aws. This had to be competed before the new reguations went ive on January 1st On the face of it, the UK appeared to have ess to do than many others in order to get ready. However, with some peope pushing simpy for a straight transposition of the Directive into UK aw, there was a rea danger that we coud see UK contros and standards weakened. As a resut, the RSPCA, aong with a range of other organisations and individuas both within and outside of the scientific community, made numerous representations to the government to emphasise the importance of at east maintaining the existing standards in nationa egisation. We argued that if standards were weakened, then anima wefare woud suffer and consequenty so woud science and pubic confidence in the eve of contro. Fortunatey, the government appeared to isten. In May, the Home Office pubished the resuts 2 of the pubic consutation it had run during This reveaed overwheming support for the UK to maintain its current standards. We wecomed the Home Office s forma response that for the most part, they were minded to utiise the freedom permitted by Artice 2 of the Directive to maintain existing UK provisions in areas where they were higher than the minimum set out in the Directive. Throughout the year, the RSPCA has been invoved in a series of stakehoder meetings with the Home Office to discuss various aspects of the transposition process, and has aso responded to further consutations reating to a new draft code of practice on care and accommodation, methods for the humane kiing of animas, potentia conficts of interest of Named Persons, and new proposas for a revised format for the Persona Licence. We were aso invited to present our views and concerns in a number of other fora, incuding in a presentation at an event hosted by the Pariamentary Science and Technoogy Committee. In December, the wording of the amended aw was given the nod by Pariament. Most of our concerns with the content of the revised egisation had been addressed but its impact wi argey depend upon how the Home Office and others choose to interpret and impement its provisions and there remain some outstanding issues of concern. This means that the content and status of the accompanying guidance document (currenty being produced by the Home Office) for those it reguates is of critica importance. It is anticipated that the ethica review processes (ERPs) currenty in pace at a UK research estabishments wi argey continue with an unchanged roe and functions, abeit under the new name of Anima Wefare and Ethica Review Bodies (see ater artice on Ethica Review). However, there remain questions reating to how the new nationa body the Animas in Science Committee 3 - wi actuay operate in practice, incuding the extent to which it wi be truy independent from the Home Office department it is being set up to advise. There is aso a need for further discussion and cear guidance for those invoved in the retrospective assessment of projects and the reporting of actua severity experience by animas, and greater carity required regarding the new roe for a person to ensure that peope using animas are trained and competent. As a fina note, it is of continuing and exceptiona importance that the Home Office is adequatey resourced to fufi its numerous roes of inspection, reviewing icence appications and amendments, iaising with icensees, and engaging with initiatives to promote the 3Rs. Despite the running costs of the Home Office Animas in Science Reguation Unit generay being covered by the fees paid by icence hoders 4, in recent years we have seen significant reductions in both the number of Home Office inspectors and the overa number of visits they make to research estabishments. This is of serious concern, and the RSPCA has continued to argue the need for a strong and adequatey resourced Home Office inspectorate. FOOTNOTES AND REFERENCES 1 European Directive on the Protection of Animas used for Scientific Purposes /63/EU. Brusses. See: eu/environment/chemicas/ab_animas/egisation_en.htm 2 Consutation on options for transposition of European Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animas used for scientific purposes - Summary report and Government response (May 2012): pubications/about-us/consutations/transposition-protectionanimas/summary-response-transposition?view=binary 3 Which repaces the Anima Procedures Committee. 4 Ministeria answer to Pariamentary Question - anima experiments (Dec 2011): wrans/?id= a h&s=speaker%3a11641#g86188.r0 Science group review of

18 Ending severe suffering The eve of pain or distress experienced by animas used in experiments depends on the nature of the research and is cassified as mid, moderate or severe' under UK aw. Any eve of suffering is a concern for the RSPCA, but ending severe suffering is a top priority. The annua government statistics on the use of animas in research and testing ist the number of projects that have been icensed in each of the severity cassifications each year, but this is a prospective estimate of suffering that does not indicate how much suffering animas actuay experienced in practice. However, as a resut of the UK transposing European Directive 2010/63, there wi be a new requirement for scientists to assess and report the actua severity experienced by each anima. This means that officia statistics on the actua eves of pain, suffering and distress experienced by animas in research wi be avaiabe from This wi aow us to monitor the numbers in each category incuding severe. The RSPCA beieves that ending severe suffering is a egitimate, desirabe and achievabe goa and that the revised UK egisation can provide a usefu driver in keeping with the spirit of the European Directive, which requires pain, suffering, distress and asting harm to be minimised. However, the egisation must be accompanied by cear guidance on effective monitoring of aboratory animas, incuding proper assessment, ameioration and cassification of any suffering they experience. Regardess of the changes to the UK aw, there is an ongoing and widey-recognised need for information and immediate action on this issue and we have set up a number of initiatives to deveop and promote ways of avoiding or reducing severe suffering. We aim to identify: the kinds of procedures that can cause severe suffering the factors that combine to make the eve of suffering severe, such as pain, anxiety, or ong asting procedures the purpose of severe procedures, for exampe vaccine testing or studies of painfu or stressing disorders any perceived obstaces to reducing suffering or avoiding these procedures, and most importanty, what can be done to overcome these obstaces. The RSPCA has been working cosey with the scientific community to research this information and to deveop strategies and resources to hep reduce suffering. These incude the deveopment of training resources for researchers, anima technoogists and care staff, to hep ensure that suffering is detected, recorded and reieved more effectivey. The RSPCA is aso encouraging information on refinement approaches and methodoogies that coud avoid or reduce severe suffering to be incuded in scientific pubications. This is a continuation of ongoing work which incudes infuencing scientific journa editoria poicies, iaison with earned societies and other professiona bodies, as we as promoting the principe directy with researchers at meetings and research estabishments. The RSPCA aso estabished an expert working group to deveop refinements for severe procedures in order to reduce suffering and improve wefare. The group competed two papers in 2012, which focused on anima studies of epiepsy and mutipe scerosis; these have been submitted for pubication in peer-reviewed journas which wi enabe more effective dissemination. Further working groups wi be set up in 2013 to address other severe procedures and produce guidance on refining and avoiding these. Robust oca ethica review at research and testing faciities can aso pay a vita roe in reducing severe suffering. The RSPCA is encouraging Anima Wefare and Ethica Review Bodies (AWERBs) known as Loca Ethica Review Processes (ERPs) unti 31 December 2012 to focus on ending severe procedures at their estabishments, incuding by activey visiting estabishments and presenting on the subject. We initiated an outreach project and were invited to visit and speak at a range of estabishments throughout This has generated a great dea of discussion and support for the principe of ending severe suffering, which wi be further faciitated in 2013 by producing materias for Anima Wefare and Ethica Review Bodies, setting out how they coud approach refining and avoiding procedures that can cause severe suffering. REFERENCE: 1 Based on data to be coected during Deivering internationa training Provision of advice on ethics, anima wefare, the 3Rs and egisation internationay, is an increasingy important roe for the RSPCA research animas department, working cosey with the RSPCA s internationa team. Issues reating to the use of animas in research and testing need to be considered in a goba context. Industries that use animas, whether pharmaceutica or chemica, are mutinationa and the reguatory testing requirements they work to are internationa. Scientists in academia aso commony coaborate on an internationa basis. However, the egisative contros on anima experiments in different countries, and particuary the priority given to anima wefare and ethica review, varies significanty. This is a serious concern. Key activities and events during 2012 In March, the RSPCA organised and deivered training workshops in Taiwan for representatives from research estabishments using animas. The events were organised in association with the Chinese-Taipei Society of Laboratory Anima Sciences and covered topics reating to anima wefare and how the 3Rs can be effectivey impemented in practice. The workshops were we attended and enthusiasticay received by the deegates. In September, the RSPCA was invited to give a penary presentation and run a workshop session on reducing aboratory anima suffering and improving wefare at the annua conference of the Chinese Association for Laboratory Anima Sciences. istockphoto.com/gobap, dra_schwartz 18 Science group review of

19 Rodent wefare The RSPCA and the Universities Federation for Anima Wefare (UFAW) jointy hod an annua rodent wefare meeting 1 to discuss current 3Rs research and disseminate information on the practica impementation of the 3Rs with respect to rodent use. Over 120 deegates attended the 2012 meeting, incuding anima technoogists, researchers and veterinarians from a wide range of scientific estabishments within industry and academia. The meeting addressed a range of topics, with a main focus on refinement and reduction. A guest speaker from a university in Santiago gave deegates an overview of the reguatory framework for anima use in Chie, expaining how researchers and anima technoogists are working towards better standards of anima wefare, reguation and ethica review. Other presentations incuded reducing stress during bood samping in rats, the wefare impact of different identification methods such as microchips and ear notching in mice, and impementing both refinement and reduction in monocona antibody generation using rodents. Another speaker expained how ong-term studies, and research into diseases of ageing such as osteoporosis, can often extend to the fu ifespan of a mouse. Aged mice have specia needs and an appropriatey taiored approach to assessing their heath and wefare is essentia to ensure a good standard of care. There is currenty much discussion of the vaidity of some areas of anima use, and this was aso addressed at the meeting. For exampe, mice are routiney used (e.g. in safety tests) at six to eight weeks od, but the resuting data may be different from that obtained when the animas are fuy mature at three months, which coud ead to potentiay miseading resuts. The meeting discussed how taking account of anima bioogy and behaviour can ead to benefits for both anima wefare and science. One speaker expained how new approaches to rodent studies of neuropathic pain invove assessing pain using behavioura indicators of anxiety and other behaviours that are important to the animas, such as burrowing. This is a better way of assessing subte signs of suffering, so that studies can be ended earier, and can aso provide more meaningfu outcome measures when potentia new anagesics are being evauated. The day ended with a focus on reducing suffering in severe procedures, with an outine of the RSPCA initiative to reduce severe suffering and practica exampes of refinements for SOD-1 mice, a geneticay atered strain used to study neurodegenerative disease. The report from the meeting wi be pubished in the journa Anima Technoogy and Wefare during FOOTNOTE 1 For more information about the RSPCA/UFAW Rodent Wefare Group and for free to downoad reports from past meetings, see: rodentwefaregroup The conference, which was hed in Yangzhou, attracted hundreds of deegates from across China. In November, the RSPCA s internationa and research animas departments, in conjunction with the University of Begrade, organised and deivered a two-day workshop on aboratory anima wefare, ethics and egisation. Over 100 peope attended, incuding those using and caring for aboratory animas, and members of ethics committees across Serbia, Croatia and Macedonia. RSPCA staff and invited experts presented key information on the aspects of the new European Directive and demonstrated and discussed how the various requirements of this egisation might best be met in practice. Resources We aso provide and disseminate key resources on anima wefare, the 3Rs and ethica review. In one such initiative, the RSPCA is working with the UK s NC3Rs 2 and the Chinese Association for Laboratory Anima Sciences to deveop a Chinese anguage version of the Procedures with Care website 3 which wi provide practica exampes for refining experimenta techniques in order to reduce anima suffering and improve wefare. FOOTNOTES AND REFERENCES 1 For more information about this aspect of our work, see: researchanimas/whatwedo/workinginternationay 2 The Nationa Centre for the Repacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animas in Research (UK) Science group review of

20 Geneticay atered animas reduction and refinement The creation and use of geneticay atered (GA) animas continues to rise wordwide. Mice and zebrafish remain the two most common GA species used in research, athough technica deveopments pubished during 2012 mean that the genetic ateration of ivestock animas and other species (with the exception of birds) is expected to become much more commonpace. Much of the growth in the number of GA animas reported has been identified as resuting from the creation and breeding of GA animas rather than their use in scientific procedures. Impementation of the 3Rs is therefore particuary important in this fied to counteract the escaating numbers and, to this end, the RSPCA research animas department undertook a number of initiatives in In March, a training event was hed for scientists and technicians, with the aim of highighting 3Rs opportunities in the production, breeding and care of GA mice, in order to minimise the number of GA animas created and used, as we as reducing the potentia for them to experience pain, suffering or distress. This is the fourth year that the meeting Geneticay Atered Animas and the 3R s what s it a about? has been hed, with over 260 participants having attended to date. In June, and for the third consecutive year, the RSPCA co-organised a training event attended by senior anima technicians, anima unit managers, scientists and vets from across Europe. The three-day course on Managing Mouse Coonies: Best practice in Genetics, Breeding and Wefare promotes current best practice incuding two RSPCA initiatives aimed at reducing the numbers of GA animas invoved in breeding and used in research, as we as raising standards of housing, husbandry and care through the use of GA passports. In October, a new training event bringing together scientists and senior anima technicians was hosted by The Wecome Trust. The one day meeting Conditiona Transgenic Technoogies: Principes & Best Practice highighted 3Rs opportunities during the creation of GA animas and promoted the use of conditiona technoogies to reduce the impact that genetic ateration has on each and every individua anima. In December, we panned and co-chaired a session on GA animas as part of an annua meeting hed at the Home Office, organised by the Society of Bioogy, and the Animas in Science Reguation Unit. For more information on the above initiatives, see: org.uk/sciencegroup/researchanimas/impementing3rs Ethica review A key question during the transposition of European Directive 2010/63 into UK aw was whether oca Ethica Review Processes (ERPs) woud be retained or be repaced by the oca Anima Wefare Bodies (AWBs) specified in the Directive. The ERP and AWB have broady simiar functions. However, the atter focuses on anima wefare and impementation of the 3Rs and acks the expicit reference to ethica review and the consideration of harms and benefits which is integra to the work of UK ERPs and ethics committees generay. The minimum membership requirements are aso different membership of an AWB coud comprise just two peope, which does not aow for incusion of the range of expertise and perspectives that are the cornerstone of an effective ERP. The requirement for institutiona AWBs is a major advance for many member states, but in the UK the RSPCA argued forcefuy to retain the existing ERP system. There was a great dea of support for this from many research estabishments and professiona bodies who beieve the ERP benefits anima wefare, science and the quaity of ethica discussion. The RSPCA was therefore deighted when the government announced that they woud transpose the AWB as an Anima Wefare and Ethica Review Body (AWERB) and that oca estabishments woud be encouraged to continue with their existing processes and membership requirements. Another deveopment is the requirement for a new Nationa Committee for the Protection of Animas in Scientific Procedures in each member state. In the UK, this committee wi be named the Animas in Science Committee (ASC) and it wi repace the Anima Procedures Committee. Nationa committees wi advise the respective competent authority and AWBs on anima care and use, and ensure sharing of best practice. They must aso exchange information on the operation of AWBs and project evauation and share best practice within the Union. The chair, initia membership and remit of the new Animas in Science Committee wi be finaised during the first months of The kind of information and best practices which it woud be usefu to share between the UK s Animas in Science Committee and AWERBs, and aso across member states, were topics for discussion at the 2012 RSPCA ERP Lay Members Forum 1,2. Ideas on how AWERBs coud deveop were aso coected to hep in the imminent updating of the RSPCA handbook for ay members 3 and the RSPCA/LASA Guiding Principes 4 on best practice for ERPs. FOOTNOTES AND REFERENCES 1 For more information regarding these forums, or our other work to promote effective ethica review, see: 2 See: 3 Current edition avaiabe at: 4 Current edition avaiabe at: ukandaroundtheword RSPCA photoibrary 20 Science group review of

21 Engaging with decision makers Scientific staff from the RSPCA s research animas department promote the RSPCA s poicies, aims and objectives through engagement with governments, statutory bodies, industry, academia and other organisations. They are members of many nationa and internationa committees and working groups, and aso have expert input into a range of consutations, both to government and non-governmenta bodies, on a wide range of aboratory anima issues. Staff have aso produced papers on a variety of topics that have been pubished in peer reviewed scientific journas. Membership during 2012 incuded the foowing European Commission expert working groups on: education and training; retrospective severity assessment; information on aternative methods and 3Rs strategies. Anima Procedures Committee (APC) incuding member of the sub-committee on housing and husbandry of aboratory animas; and chair of the working group reviewing the revision of the European Directive on animas in scientific procedures. Laboratory Anima Science Association Counci member and co-convener of section on education, training and ethics. British Pharmacoogica Society Anima Wefare and Integrative Pharmacoogy Committee. BVA(AWF)/FRAME/RSPCA/UFAW Joint Working Group on Refinement (the RSPCA research animas department provides the secretariat for this initiative). The Boyd Group. UFAW 3Rs Liaison Group. European Partnership for Aternative Approaches to Anima Testing Mirror Group. OECD Test Guideines Shadow Group. Various ethica review processes in industry and academia. Exampes of meetings/events participated in during 2012 Home Office/Anima Wefare and Aternatives Stakehoder Group meetings on transposition of the European Directive. Meeting with Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone MP. UK Pariamentary Committee on Science and Technoogy meeting Anima Experimentation: Are EU Reguations Adequate? Home Office Liaison Officers Forum training for members of ERPs. Systematic reviews in aboratory anima science SYRCLE. NC3Rs Annua Science Review Meeting. Institute of Anima Technoogy Congress rd East Mediterranean ICLAS Symposium. Joint Convention on the Scientific Roadmap for the Future of Anima-free Systemic Toxicity coordinated by CAAT-EU. British Pharmacoogica Society symposium addressing changes to the Animas (Scientific Procedures) Act by transposition of Directive 63/2010/EU. Word Fisheries Congress sateite meeting on the wefare of experimenta fish. British Association of Zebrafish Husbandry seminar on The Perception of Pain and its Management. Anima Use in Research and the New EU Directive: Chaenges and Opportunities for Anima Wefare, Science, Ethics and Society (conference hosted by Northumbria University Schoo of Law). Modes of Experimenta Pain: Opportunities and Chaenges (organised by British Pharmacoogica Society, The Physioogica Society and NC3Rs). ASAB/SEB/NC3Rs Symposium: Impementing the 3Rs in Behavioura and Physioogica Research. Measuring Behaviour Chinese Association for Laboratory Anima Sciences Annua Meeting NORECOPA (Norwegian consensus patform for repacement, reduction and. refinement of anima experiments): Harmonisation of the care and Use of Agricutura Animas in Research. Fondazione Guido Bernardini internationa conference: The European Commission Expert Working Groups to faciitate the Impementation of the Directive 2010/63/EU. Laboratory Anima Science Association (UK) annua winter meeting. Responses to consutations incuded the foowing: Home Office invitation to comment: Draft Code of Practice on Care and Accommodation and Transposition of Annex III (January). House of Commons: Science and Technoogy Committee inquiry on the commerciaisation of research (February). UK Statistics Authority: Assessment of Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animas Produced by the Home Office (February). Home Office - invitation to comment: Schedue 1 Appropriate Methods of Humane Kiing (March). Nuffied Counci on Bioethics consutation: Nove Neurotechnoogies Intervening in the Brain (Apri). Home Office: Potentia Conficts of Interest in Reation to Named Persons [under the ASPA] (June). Anima Procedures Committee Review of the Assessment of Cumuative Severity in Neuroscience Research Invoving Non-human Primates (June). Home Office: Proposa for content of the new Persona Licence under ASPA (2013 and beyond) and process for impementation (September). Science group review of

22 Andrew Key BSc PhD Head of department Coin Booty BSc Deputy head Adam Grogan BSc Ros Cubb BSc DPhi (from ) Lisa Riey BSc MSc MRes MSc PhD Senior scientific officers Sophie Adwick BSc MSc Scientific officer Nicoa Cunningham BSc MSc PGDip Scientific information officer Aison Chares VN Be Deering BA MA PGCert(Res) Lee Stewart BSc MSc Peter Venn BA RSPCA widife centre managers Sue Gaagher Office manager Natasha Fauding Administrative assistant Widife Despite growing pubic concern, the appreciation of the wefare needs of wid animas is often inadequate. The RSPCA widife department seeks to improve wefare provisions for captive and free-iving wid animas. This is achieved through research, promoting an awareness of the requirements of animas, and an emphasis on a precautionary and humane approach to human interactions with wid animas. Hedgehog hibernation pattern tracking project The RSPCA s four widife centres admit more hedgehogs than any other mamma with an average of over 1,600 being admitted over the past 10 years. Some of these hedgehogs are injured or sick aduts but many are juvenies, either genuine orphans or animas that have faied to thrive due to iness such as ungworm. Many of these hedgehogs are admitted in the autumn and so we can have arge numbers of hedgehogs in our care over winter. We have managed this situation in the past by reeasing a number of these hedgehogs during the winter. We et them sette into hibernation in captivity then reease them during spes of mid weather. As part of our continuing research into the success of widife rehabiitation, we are currenty radio-tracking a number of these hedgehogs to investigate their surviva overwinter. The previous two years have been positive with a the reeased hedgehogs surviving hibernation and waking up the foowing spring to start iving ife as a wid hedgehog. This year, not ony are we radio-tracking our rehabiitated hedgehogs, but we are aso working with university departments at Brighton, Reading and Nottingham Trent to compare the surviva of rehabiitated hedgehogs with wid hedgehogs. Wid hedgehogs were tagged with radio transmitters at these ocations and they wi be monitored during the winter. Not ony do we aim to demonstrate that our rehabiitation and reease of hedgehogs is successfu but, by monitoring wid hedgehogs, we hope to provide evidence to support the hypothesis that hedgehogs need to weigh at east 450 g to survive hibernation (Morris ). The resuts from a the radio-tracked hedgehogs wi be coated, anaysed and submitted for pubication as soon as possibe. 1. MORRIS, P. A. (1984) An estimate of the minimum body weight necessary for hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) to survive hibernation. Journa of Zooogy 203: Phiip Toscano, Joe Murphy (x2)/rspca Photoibrary 22 Science group review of

23 Primates kept as pets Being kept in a parrot cage is no ife for a primate but that is often the case when the RSPCA inspectorate encounter pet monkeys. The RSPCA receives around 50 cas a year about pet primates but this is ikey to increase as internet trade escaates. In the past year three prosecutions have been brought, a of which invoved common marmosets sma South American monkeys. There are severa ongoing incidents invoving common marmosets, and other primates. The RSPCA widife department supports the inspectorate by identifying species, providing care advice and sourcing rehoming opportunities. Most recenty, we have assisted in the seizure of a squirre monkey and provided advice on encosure design for a pair of common marmosets. In conjunction with Monkey Word Ape Rescue Centre (Dorset, UK) we have deveoped a Marmoset Rehoming Project, where a new compex has been buit to provide permanent, safe and speciesappropriate homes for RSPCA-rescued marmosets. Seven RSPCA-case marmosets have recenty taken up residence! By providing a funding brief to the team responsibe for iaising with the RSPCA s major donors, we have been abe to raise over 10,000 for this project. The widife department has aso conducted research into the effectiveness of the Code of Practice for the Wefare of Privatey Kept Non-Human Primates in Engand, which wi be reviewed by Defra in Our data indicates that oca authorities in Engand (which issue icences for some pet primates) tend not to be aware of, or use the Code, suggesting that the Code is faiing to safeguard the wefare of pet primates. Other work in this area has incuded investigations into internet trade, and suppying information to the UK government and the Wesh Government about the scae of primate keeping. Numbers of hedgehogs admitted to RSPCA widife centres since ,000 2,500 A hedgehogs RSPCA East Winch RSPCA Maydams RSPCA Stapeey Grange RSPCA West Hatch 2,000 1,500 1, RSPCA widife centres data: Science group review of

24 Wid anima pets The RSPCA considers exotics to be wid animas in captivity because they have not undergone the same period of domestication as more famiiar pets ike cats and dogs. Their needs can be chaenging to meet because they are tied to the animas natura way of ife in the wid. We beieve some exotics, ike primates, are unsuitabe as pets because they have such highy compex needs. Reiabe data is scarce but exotic pets do appear to be increasing in popuarity 1. The RSPCA is facing growing numbers of incidents reating to certain exotics such as bearded dragons and meerkats 2. Exotic pets were chosen as the focus of one of five RSPCA Pedges, aunched in February Whie the pedge 3 covers a nondomestic species, work is initiay focusing on repties and primates. This year has been one of aying groundwork and assessing priorities. We have produced a fundraising and project brief, outining the pedge rationae, major work pans and associated costs; sought to buid inks with other individuas and organisations; determined knowedge gaps, highighted areas for research and initiated projects; and participated in knowedge sharing through attendance at conferences. We have aso been working internay to enhance training for fied staff; invest in deveopment and training of speciaist fied officers; and deveop a network of boarding faciities in our anima centres. REFERENCES 1. Pet Food Manufacturers Association annua sma anima popuation survey. UK popuation estimate for turtes, tortoises, izards and snakes rose from 400,000 (2008) to 700,000 (2012). 2. Data extracted from the RSPCA nationa ca centre database in RSPCA exotics pedge: To reduce the number of exotics kept as pets and increase their humane care. Badger cu controversy To cu or not to cu continues to be the question featuring at the heart of much of the ongoing debate about badgers and bovine tubercuosis. The RSPCA wecomed the Wesh Government decision to pursue a badger vaccination project in the Intensive Action Area in Pembrokeshire as part of its strategic framework for btb eradication. This foowed a review of the scientific evidence commissioned by the Minister for Environment and Sustainabe Deveopment. By the end of the year about 1,400 badgers had been vaccinated. However, in Engand, Defra continued to pursue a poicy invoving icensing farmers to cu badgers. Two areas were seected for piot cus; in West Somerset and West Goucestershire. Appicants were required to meet various criteria, incuding cuing at east 70 per cent of the badger popuation. This required robust evidence regarding the number of badgers in the specific areas, as was highighted by an important etter in the journa Nature from two research scientists. The RSPCA submitted an evidence statement in support of the Badger Trust s appication for Judicia Review in which we indicated some of the probems and scientific uncertainties but, whist recognising the scientific controversy, the decision was based soey on ega interpretation and the appication faied. Another scientific chaenge emerged just before cuing was due to commence, with more than 30 eminent scientists signing a etter to The Observer urging the government to reconsider its strategy. However, pans for the piot cus were postponed ate in October when specific surveys reveaed that badger numbers in the areas were roughy doube that initiay estimated and it was considered unikey that a cu coud be competed so ate in the year. istock, Andrew Forsyth/RSPCA Photoibrary, Samiu Mohsanin/RSPCA Maydams Wood 24 Science group review of

25 RSPCA widife centres review The RSPCA widife centres at East Winch, Maydams Wood, Stapeey Grange and West Hatch continue to strive for a better understanding of the casuaties in their care. Numerous research projects are undertaken to investigate post-reease surviva in rehabiitated species. Techniques such as radio-tracking are used, as we as simper methods such as marking, e.g. ringing birds and reying on re-sightings for information on how ong these animas survive and how far they have traveed. Some of this work is carried out in conjunction with the widife department and has been promoted widey at various conferences and symposia. In addition, the widife department and centres continue to deveop species rehabiitation protocos, based on best practice and sound science. RSPCA EAST WINCH WILDLIFE CENTRE Unusua pinniped mortaities associated with corkscrew injuries of anthropogenic origin Between June 2008 and December 2010, 76 dead pinnipeds* were found on the coast of the UK with pecuiar injuries consisting of a singe continuous curviinear skin aceration spiraing down the body. The skin and bubber had been sheared from the underying fascia and, in many cases, the scapua aso had been avused from the thoracic wa. Athough previousy unreported in the UK, simiar distinctive esions had been described in Canadian pinnipeds where they were referred to as corkscrew injuries. In the UK, identica injuries were seen in both native species of pinniped, with 43 harbour seas (Phoca vituina)** (57 per cent) and 26 grey seas (Haichoerus grypus) (34 per cent) affected, and seven carcasses (9 per cent) for which the species coud not be determined. There were two apparent seasona peaks in incidence; predominanty adut harbour seas were discovered during the summer and juvenie grey seas during the winter. Post-mortem examinations of 20 harbour seas reveaed they had been aive and heathy when the injuries were sustained, with no evidence of any underying disease or disabiity. Based on the pathoogica findings, it was concuded that mortaity was caused by a sudden traumatic event invoving a strong rotationa shearing force. The injuries were consistent with the animas being drawn through the ducted propeers of marine vesses and, in some cases, there was a direct correation with the presence of work boats operating in the vicinity. This chaenges the concusions of a previous study in Canada that suggested natura predation by Greenand sharks (Somniosus microcephaus) was ikey to be responsibe for these injuries. TEXT TAKEN FROM ABSTRACT - PAPER PUBLISHED 2012: Bexton, S., Thompson,D., Brownow,A., Barey,J., Mine,R. and Bidewe, C. (2012) Unusua Mortaity of Pinnipeds in the United Kingdom Associated with Heica (Corkscrew) Injuries of Anthropogenic Origin. Aquatic Mammas 38(3), * Pinnipeds comprises the famiies of Otariidae (sea ions), Odobenidae (warus) and Phocidae (seas) together with their immediate ancestors. Aaby, M. (2003) Oxford Dictionary of Zooogy (reissue), p413. **Harbour sea aso known as the common sea. RSPCA RSPCA MALLYDAMS WOOD WILDLIFE CENTRE Post-reease monitoring of common buzzards Between 2005 and 2011 the four RSPCA widife centres have admitted a tota of 900 common buzzards (Buteo buteo) into care. The nationa trend for the species is one of rapid popuation increase and range expansion 1. Therefore in the future we are ikey to see more and more common buzzards admitted into widife rehabiitation centres. This highights the importance of assessing the success of our rehabiitation techniques through post-reease monitoring. Since 2006, RSPCA West Hatch and RSPCA Maydams Wood have fitted a tota of 16 common buzzards with radio tags, initiay using tai mount tags which are fitted to the bird s centra tai feather but then moving on to eg mount tags which are fitted around the tarsus of the bird. This switch in attachment technique was in response to poor tag retention experienced with tai mounted birds. The tags have a battery ife of approximatey 7.5 months and the aim of the project has been to track individuas for as ong as possibe to examine their post-reease surviva and dispersa. Nine of the 16 birds have been tracked by RSPCA Maydams Wood; of these birds two died, two shed their tags, and one was caught in a Larson trap and ost its tag. Two of the birds survived the duration of the radio tags' battery ife, with both being tracked for over 200 days. The fina two birds are sti being tracked but have both been out for over 100 days. The tagged birds have been observed dispaying natura behaviours, foraging on worms and interacting with conspecifics. The project is ongoing and wi be written up in REFERENCE 1. Baiie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Leech, D.I., Renwick, A.R., Egington, S.M., Joys, A.C., Nobe, D.G., Barimore, C., Conway, G.J., Downie, I.S., Risey, K. & Robinson, R.A. (2012). Bird Trends BTO Research Report No BTO, Thetford. Science group review of

26 Lee Stewart/RSPCA Stapeey Grange RSPCA STAPELEY GRANGE WILDLIFE CENTRE Monitoring stress and post-reease surviva in fox cubs As widife rehabiitators, we must have confidence in our rehabiitation protocos so that we are reeasing fit and heathy animas that can survive back in the wid. Between January 2006 and December 2011 RSPCA Stapeey Grange received 754 red foxes (Vupes vupes); 289 aduts/immature and 465 juvenies/orphans. Over this six year period 58 aduts and 262 juvenies/ orphans were reeased back to the wid. Before taking in apparenty abandoned cubs, every effort is made to eave cubs in the wid so that they have a good chance of being reunited with their parents. This RSPCA poicy ensures that every rescued cub is truy an orphan. The return of orphaned cubs can take up to seven months which is both expensive and abour intensive, however itte evidence is avaiabe as to how we these soft reeased cubs do foowing reease. Over the next four years and in conjunction with Manchester Metropoitan University, RSPCA Stapeey Grange wi be running three projects, a of which reate to fox rehabiitation. 1 Monitoring stress eves of fox cubs during rehabiitation, by measuring cortiso eves in faeca sampes (these eves act as indicators to stress). 2 Assessing, using behavioura software, the impact of our GSM coars on our juvenie foxes, to ensure they are unhindered when returned to the wid. 3 Monitoring 28 rehabiitated fox cubs, using GSM coars, for up to four months post-reease. In 2012, four fox cubs were coared using GSM coars. Initia data from two of the coared foxes show that they are adapting we after eight weeks and have appeared to have found and setted in new ocations, some distance from their initia reease sites. Whist one coar was remotey dropped after one week, the other has broken and now ony works using VHF mode, which is being tracked by the RSPCA Stapeey Grange team. Lyme borreiosis, or Lyme disease, is a common vector-borne disease of human beings. It aso occurs in domestic animas. Lyme borreiosis is caused by a group of cosey reated Borreia species (spirochaete bacteria), which are transmitted between hosts by Ixodid ticks. Athough various species of wid mammas and birds are the reservoir hosts for Borreia species, disease in widife appears to be rare. In order to improve our understanding of the epidemioogy of Lyme borreiosis, we undertook a piot study (funded by the University of Bath) to gather information on the tick species present on wid animas in south-west Engand, and the Borreia species they carry. Seventy-five ticks were coected opportunisticay from 15 native wid animas (eight European hedgehogs Erinaceus europaeus, five Eurasian badgers Mees mees, one red fox Vupes vupes, and one roe deer Capreous capreous). The ticks were preserved in 70 per cent acoho, and submitted for speciation and anaysis for the presence of Borreia species. Ticks were identified to species eve by microscopy, according to morphoogica criteria. DNA was extracted from each tick, and Borreia species were identified by PCR. 57 Ixodes hexagonus (hedgehog ticks), 16 Ixodes canisuga (dog or fox ticks) and two Ixodes ricinus (sheep or deer ticks) were identified. Borreia species DNA was identified in 31 of the 75 ticks examined (41 per cent). 23 Borreia-positive ticks (16 I.hexagonus and seven I.canisuga) were recovered from five badgers, five Borreia-positive I.hexagonus were recovered from four of the eight hedgehogs, two Borreia-positive I.canisuga were recovered from the fox and one Borreia-positive I.ricinus was recovered from the roe deer. The Borreia-positive sampes were identified to species eve as foows: 14 Borreia garinii, seven Borreia vaaisiana, one Borreia afzeii, one Borreia usitaniae, and eight sampes that were not typed. Engaging with decision makers Scientific staff from the RSPCA s widife department promote the Society's agreed poicies, aims and objectives through advocacy to statutory bodies and other organisations at the highest eve. They are members of many nationa and internationa committees and working groups and aso have key input into a range of consutations, both to government and non-governmenta bodies, on a wide range of widife issues. Beow is a sma seection of the committees, meetings, events and consutations in which widife staff have participated during Representation on externa committees RSPCA WEST HATCH WILDLIFE CENTRE Prevaence of Borreia infection in ticks from widife in south-west Engand Anima Wefare Network (Waes). British Widife Rehabiitation Counci (BWRC) Steering Committee. Internationa Widife Rehabiitation Counci (IWRC). Marine Anima Rescue Coaition (MARC). Species Surviva Network (SSN) Board. The Deer Initiative. The Mamma Society. 26 Science group review of

27 Sea Aarm. CITES Joint Animas and Pant Committee meeting. Widife and Countryside Link: Widife Trade working group. Word Conservation Union s Otter Speciaist Group. Consutation responses Opportunity to comment on Natura Engand s piot cu areas. Law Commission review. ABTA Goba Guideines for Anima Wefare. Meetings and events Attended Effects of oi on widife conference, New Oreans. Law Commission advisory group. Meeting with Anging Trust and Nationa Swan Convention. Meeting with QC/Badger Trust. Presentation on wid animas as pets to the oca authority anima wefare officer managers Anima Wefare Forum in London. Attended badger press event at Westminster. Meeting with the CVO Waes badger vaccination project. Meeting with the Wesh Government Environment Department to discuss widife genera icences and the new Environment Bi and its potentia impact. 26th Animas Committee meeting of Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Internationa Trade in Endangered Species of Fora and Fauna (CITES), March in Geneva, Switzerand. Defra meeting EU IAS Strategy Deveopment meeting. Aong with IFAW and HSI UK, met with JNCC and Defra to discuss wefare provisions in CITES (Convention on Internationa Trade in Endangered Species of Fora and Fauna). Reception hosted by LACS, London. Presentation at Internationa Society for Appied Ethoogy (ISAE) at Harper Adams University Coege. CASJ Wid Anima Wefare Poicy Seminar at University of Leicester. Meeting with Defra/AHWB future strategic direction re btb, London. Presentation given on repties as pets at the Exotic pet trade day hed by Wid Futures. Presentation given on the trade and wefare of wid anima pets at the Nationa Dog Wardens Association Anima Wefare Symposium. Universities Federation for Anima Wefare conference,york. HSI (UK) Joint Pariamentary Meeting about hares, House of Commons. Vet Net LLN Wefare & Conservation, Birmingham. APGAW meeting at House of Commons, London. Baex Deta exercise for oi spi response, Hesinki. Widife Rocks event at Guidford Cathedra, hosted by Brian May and Save Me. Wid Futures meeting, London. Briefing meeting House of Commons badger cuing. Attended Irish rehabiitation conference. Attended a conference on the Import and keeping of exotic pets in Europe in Brusses, organised by the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe, Cyprus Presidency of the Counci of the EU, the EU Commission and the Swiss Federa Veterinary Office. Attended the first annua Tortoise Wefare Conference, hed at Cochester Zoo. Ethics of Animas in Entertainment conference Roya Veterinary Coege. Gave presentation on cognitive enrichment in great apes REEC 4 Shape of Enrichment conference, Port Lympne. RSPCA regiona chief inspectors meetings (a regions) gave presentation on exotics pedge, exotics incidents and RSPCA widife department. RSPCA Bock Fen branch meeting gave presentation on exotics pedge, exotics incidents and widife department. Species Surviva Network Eephant Working Group meeting Born Free Foundation. Eephant Haven meeting on new eephant sanctuary in Europe Born Free Foundation. Monkey Word meeting to discuss new marmoset compex. Externa funding Ongoing research into the effect of tags on rehabiitated and reeased seabirds (Swansea University). Surviva of hedgehogs during hibernation (Brighton and Reading University). Review of the humaneness of rat, mouse and moe traps (Widife Conservation Research Unit (WidCRU), University of Oxford). For more information, see RSPCA Science Group Review of Research into badger behaviour and movements during and post rehabiitation with Swansea University. Scientific pubications Baker, S. E., Ewood S. A., Tagariei, V.L., and Macdonad, D.W. (2012) Mechanica performance of rat, mouse and moe spring traps, and possibe impications for wefare performance. PLoS ONE 7(6): e Research funded by RSPCA. Bexton, S., Thompson, D., Brownow, A., Barey, J., Mine, R. and Bidewe, C. (2012) Unusua Mortaity of Pinnipeds in the United Kingdom Associated with Heica (Corkscrew) Injuries of Anthropogenic Origin. Aquatic Mammas 38(3), Couper, D. and Bexton, S. (2012) Veterinary care of wid ow casuaties. In Practice 34: Grogan A and Key A (in press). A review of RSPCA research into widife rehabiitation. Veterinary Record. Key, A., Goodwin, S., Grogan, A. and Mathews, F. (2012) Further evidence for the post-reease surviva of handreared, orphaned bats based on radio-tracking and ringreturn data. Anima Wefare 21(1): For a fu ist of papers produced by or in conjunction with the RSPCA widife centres, pease go to sciencegroup/widife/currentresearch. Science group review of

28 Roya Society for the Prevention of Cruety to Animas Wiberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 9RS facebook.com/rspca twitter.com/rspca_officia The RSPCA heps animas in Engand and Waes. Registered charity no: The RSPCA ony exists because of pubic donations. Cover pics; Joe Murphy, Andrew Forsyth (x2), Phiip Toscano/RSPCA Photoibrary ISSN X 2.13