American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners Position Statement: Handling and Physical Restraint of Research Animals

Physical restraint of animals may be necessary for experimental, husbandry, or veterinary medical purposes, or to ensure personnel safety. There should be veterinary consultation for any proposed restraint that is more than momentary. As restraint may induce physiologic and behavioral changes, the method of restraint should be chosen to minimize distress to the animal and the duration of restraint used should be the minimum needed to achieve scientific or clinical objectives. Any restraint device should be designed to ensure the safety of the animal and it should be appropriately maintained. Alternatives to physical restraint such as positive reinforcement or other benign operant conditioning/training for a procedure, or chemical restraint where human or animal safety is a concern, should be considered.

Handling and Short-Term Physical Restraint

Animal handling and short-term restraint have the potential to cause distress to animals that may affect research results, pose risks to handler safety and health, and afford opportunities for animal escape or injury. Even short-term restraint and handling may induce anatomic, physiologic, and behavioral changes and can influence phenotype in some species such as mice.

The method and approach used for handling and restraint are important factors that may influence distress to the animal and may impact experimental data. In this regard, variables such as acclimation to handling and restraint, as well as the degree and frequency of such manipulations, should be considered.

Nonchemical alternatives to physical restraint (for example, positive reinforcement and less aversive handling methods) should be preferentially considered. If restraint and handling are necessary, methods should be chosen to minimize both duration and distress to the animal.

Prolonged Physical Restraint

Prolonged restraint must adhere to applicable regulatory requirements as outlined for nonhuman primates [§ 3.81(d)] and marine mammal transport in the Animal Welfare Act Regulations [3.113(b)]. The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals outlines requirements and recommendations for physical restraint.

Prolonged physical restraint should be avoided unless it is scientifically justified and approved by the IACUC. As the duration of restraint increases, focused attention should be directed to alternatives to restraint, the health and well-being of the animal, and endpoint criteria for restraint. Acclimation of the animal to restraint devices, combined with positive reinforcement, should be considered when the animal may be repeatedly restrained or restrained for an extended period of time. Considerations for acclimation or positive reinforcement should consider research goals as well as animal welfare.

Animal Care and Use Programs

Animal care and use programs should establish guidance describing appropriate procedures for handling, short-term restraint, and long-term restraint, as well as ensure that animal care and research staff are properly trained and educated on the reason for restraint. Guidance for long-term restraint should address appropriate restraint procedures, duration of restraint, and frequency of monitoring. Monitoring should be sufficient to ensure the welfare of the animals during the restraint period. Criteria should also be developed for the temporary or permanent removal of an animal from a study involving restraint if the animal does not adapt or acquires behavioral abnormalities as a result of restraint. IACUCs are encouraged to keep apprised of advances and alternatives for animal restraint and to use pilot studies or seek the advice of ad hoc consultants when evaluating novel or unfamiliar restraint methods.

IACUCs may also wish to periodically evaluate their institutional practices for acclimation, positive reinforcement, observational and monitoring procedures, and associated performance standards.

Disclaimer

The position statements and/or guidelines produced by the American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners (ASLAP) are intended to be recommendations and guidance and are not a regulatory requirement. ASLAP members that have expertise in the area of interest are recruited to the Animal Welfare Committee and draft a document that is then sent out for comment and input from the ASLAP Board of Directors.

The final version is approved by the Board of Directors before being published. While the Animal Welfare Committee members and other contributors are listed as authors this position statement reflects current ASLAP perspective and not necessarily that of the individuals.

Note: Dr. Petervary contributed to this work in her personal capacity. The views expressed are her own and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institutes of Health or the United States Government.

Jennifer Beninson DVM, DACLAM¹, Melissa C Dyson DVM, MS, DACLAM, CPIA², Sally Thompson-Iritani DVM, PhD, CPIA, CHABP, CFE, CCFP³*, Vanessa Lee DVM, DACLAM⁴, Steven M. Niemi DVM, DACLAM⁵, Nicolette Petervary VMD, MS, DACAW⁶, Stacy Pritt DVM, MS, MBA, CPIA, CHRC, EXCS, ECoP(EAR), DACAW⁷, William S. Stokes DVM, DACLAM, DACAW, BCES, FATS⁸, Joshua M. Taylor DVM, DACLAM⁹

ASLAP Committee Member¹, Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI², Office of Research, University of Washington, Seattle, WA³, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA⁴, Animal Science Center, Boston University, Boston, MA⁵, Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD⁶, Vice Chancellor for Research Office, Texas A&M University System, College Park, TX⁷, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Public Health Service (retired), Research Triangle Park, NC⁸, Division of Comparative Medicine, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR⁹

*Corresponding author: sti2@uw.edu

Approved by the ASLAP Board of Directors March 2023