Friday, February 5, 2010

Is it illegal to use live rats/mice in science experiment that can potentially cause them bodily harm or death

This is for my sisters Elementary school science project.. btw we live in California. Some real answers would be greatly appreciated.Is it illegal to use live rats/mice in science experiment that can potentially cause them bodily harm or death
In the United States, the USDA controls the regulations regarding experimentation on all species of animal that are ';higher'; than rats and mice, think sheep, dogs, cats, pigs, etc. As it relates to the use of mice and rats (and other animals) for scientific experimentation, the government, through the rules established in the Animal Welfare Act, explicitly spells out the rules relating to the use of animals in both non-terminal and terminal studies. Individual states have there own rules and regulations regarding the use of animals in scientific experimentation, but any center of higher education that receives any funding whatsoever from the government agrees to be bound by all of the rules and to set up an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. All procedures and the possible outcomes must then be reviewed scientifically as well as by a certified veterinarian. At the level of the elementary and higher secondary school level, school districts and state Boards of Education as well as the Dept. of Public Health can and routinely do set rules for the use of animals in experimentation.





If all of the rules are followed, yes, it is legal to use specific animals in laboratory procedures that can cause them harm or death. However, all care must be taken to medicate and anesthetize as appropriate to minimize or eliminate their possible suffering.Is it illegal to use live rats/mice in science experiment that can potentially cause them bodily harm or death
Without proper permits, it is animal cruelty.
i DONT KNOW BUT WHAT GIVES U THE RIGHT TO DO THAT!! UR MESSED UP IN THE HEAD.
Morally yes, Legally no!
No. It is completley legal to use rats %26amp; mice in experiments. Hints the phrase ';lab mice';.
is it illegal to use a mouse or rat trap?
I doubt that it is actually illegal, however some people may have an ethical issue with it. I know in New York State, where I did my undergrad, I was in a lab that had to kill mice each week in order to collect their spleens. Many pharmaceutical companies use mice or rats as models in their product development because they are not allowed to test on humans until it has been proven safe.
There are regulations that forbid unnecessary cruelty, but scientists with proper approval can perform animal experiments that can harm or kill the animals.





However, it is highly probable that your sister's school would not accept a science project in which animals were harmed, or even put in danger. You should definitely check with the school before thinking about using animals.
Check the science project rules. Whether or not California allows it, it's likely your school would not sanction a science project that would harm an animal.

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