1. BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007

2. BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007
Legislation
Psychologists must adhere to the legal requirements of the country they are working in.
Psychologists have to be aware of endangered species or threatened species and act appropriately.
Research must be prefaced with a covering letter stating this.

3. BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007
Replacing use of animals
Videos and computer simulations have to be used where possible.
Ideal for teaching situations.
e.g. Ratlife and Sniffy the Rat

4. BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007
Choice of species and strain
Species should be carefully chosen to ensure effectiveness with minimal suffering-knowledge of species and history of individual animals vital
Choices have to be justified on project licence application
Different strains of rodents are physiologically different and need to be chosen carefully.
Transgenic mice may be used as no harm to organism is observed.

5. BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007
Number of animals
1986 Act-legally required to use smallest number of animals possible
National Centre for 3Rs (Replacement, Refinement and Reduction) can provide advice on how the use of better methodologies/designs and statistical analysis can help achieve this.

6. BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007
Procedures
Project licence
Registered establishment
Personal licence
Local ethical review process (Committee)
Home Office
Identify costs to animals in reports/journals

7. BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007
Procedures (contd)
Housing- caging needs to take into account the social behaviour of species
Reward, deprivation, aversive stimulation- periods of deprivation of food should be short and species specific
Aggression and predation- natural encounters preferable if staged animals should be protected
Fieldwork- should not disturb the ecosystem or interrupt species reproduction and survival
Anaesthesia, analgesia and euthanasia- animals should have access to pain relief and be destroyed humanely if suffering

8. BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007
Procurement
Home Office Designated Breeding and Supply Establishments.
Wild caught animals- refer to ASAB website

9. BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007
Animal Care
Housing and husbandry conditions must be within guidelines
Captive animals should be kept in conditions closely resembling their natural conditions as much as possible
Need to foster habituation to minimise stress
Animal care personnel must be trained

10. BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007
Disposing of animals
Distribute to other colleagues if deemed possible by home office
If disposed of- it must be done humanely
Death must be confirmed before disposal
Vets must be consulted

11. BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007
Animals in psychology teaching
Teachers have a responsibility to educate pupils on ethical issues
Coursework on animals may be possible but tests to show known facts are prohibited
Use of film/video should be encouraged
Undergraduates must work within a project licence
Post graduates need personal licence

12. BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007
Use of animals for therapeutic purposes
Pet dogs as co therapists
Horse riding for disabled
Prison pet keeping schemes
Temperament and training of animal must be considered as well as its welfare
Animals should have opportunity to retreat

13. BPS Guidelines for Psychologists working with animals-2007
Clinical Assessment and treatment of animal behaviour
Dog whisperers!
Guidelines issued by ASAB ( Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour)