Animal experimentation: are we allowed to do that? In this thematic portal, researchers of the Swiss Laboratory Animal Science Association give answers to frequently asked questions.

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What happens to the animals at the end of the experiment?

That depends on the experiment. In rodent studies, the animals usually must be killed at the end of the experiment so that organs can be examined. However, several research groups may benefit, as parts of the animals that are not considered in the research question in one study can be used in another experiment. In other words, they are not disposed of unused, which means that no additional animals are needed for the other experiment. To enable this exchange, internal exchange systems are available, or researchers may use inter-institutional systems for the exchange of unused organs or animals (e.g. Animatch).

Larger animals such as dogs are used in several experiments, if possible, provided that these are not too stressful, and the animals are able to fully recover. Experimental animals that are no longer needed can be used in education and training of people or, under certain circumstances, can be placed with private owners. This is generally relatively successful with larger animals, but rodents also may find a new home in this way. Some rodents that are no longer needed in experiments can also be killed and given to zoos and wildlife parks as food animals. Patient animals that were involved in experiments, for example to systematically test the effectiveness of new treatment methods, are of course returned to their owners. Wild animals are usually released back into the wild after studies that are considered animal experiments.