Preamble

For many scientific studies, animal research is unavoidable. TU Dresden is aware of the ethical responsibility this entails. The respectful, competent and responsible treatment of animals is a cornerstone of our ethical values at TU Dresden and at the same time an irrefutable prerequisite for meaningful animal research. This commitment applies to all members of TU Dresden who work directly or indirectly with animals, their supervisors, and the members of the Extended University Executive Board.

General information

The basis for keeping animals and for experimental animal research at TUD Dresden University of Technology is the Animal Protection Act¹, the Act for the Protection of Animals Used for Research Purposes², and the Animal Welfare Regulations of TUD Dresden University of Technology³, as amended. Any additional voluntary commitments in this declaration are voluntary and are not legally binding.

Animal research at TU Dresden takes place in accordance with the 3R principle⁴: Replace – Reduce – Refine.

In brief, this means:

• Replace: We will not use animals in experiments if animal research can be replaced by other methods.
• Reduce: We plan animal research in such a way that the number of animals and studies is kept as low as possible.
• Refine: Animals are housed and looked after according to their needs, and we do our utmost to minimize their suffering and distress.

Obligations of university management

The Extended University Executive Board:

• Appoints appropriate numbers of Animal Protection Officers at TU Dresden with sufficient time budget. It ensures that the Animal Protection Officers can carry out their work unhindered and without interference.
• Appoints an in-house Animal Research Commission. This ensures the quality and professionalism of the animal use applications required for research projects. 
• Provides the necessary infrastructure for the state-of-the-art animal keeping and research that meets the requirements for housing, breeding, and care in accordance with animal welfare standards and ensures valid research results and good scientific practice.
• Encourages knowledge transfer among researchers to facilitate the best methods for obtaining knowledge that are least harmful to animals. In particular, the Extended University Executive Board calls for and promotes the publication of negative findings from animal research in order to reduce the number of animals used in the future.
• Complies with the instruction, advanced training, and continuing education prescribed by law for scientists working with animal research as well as non-academic staff involved with animal care at the earliest possible date. This is provided by veterinary staff employed for this purpose at TU Dresden, by an accredited course provider, or by researchers qualified in this field.
• Guarantees open and transparent communication regarding animal research, alternative methods, and animal welfare measures – both within the university and outside of the university.
  TUD seeks dialog with the responsible regulatory authorities, political decision-makers, and the wider public.  Students – especially of the relevant degree programs – and staff are made aware of the complexity of the topic and receive support in communication.

Obligations of those involved in animal research

All members of TU Dresden who undertake animal research:

• Comply with the Animal Protection Act¹, the Act for the Protection of Animals Used for Research Purposes², the Animal Welfare Regulations of TUD Dresden University of Technology³, and this Voluntary Commitment of TU Dresden on Animal Research. To this end, they possess the necessary specialist knowledge and training, particularly with regard to the biology of the animals used and the legal and in-house requirements and directives. Employees obtain information on instruction, advanced training and continuing education independently and indicate their needs.
• In consultation with the responsible Animal Protection Officers, thoroughly observe and document the potential and occurring suffering and distress of animals on their own responsibility.
• Have fully learned the 3R principle⁴ and are responsible for checking appropriate measures for their implementation before and after each experiment.

The Animal Protection Officers of TU Dresden:

• Carry out their mandate independently of researchers, animal caretakers and university management. Are TU Dresden's link to the regulatory authorities. Are familiar with how to implement the legal requirements and encourage internal measures to promote animal welfare. 
• Support researchers in communicating with the regulatory authorities and in complying with animal welfare requirements.
• Promote and monitor the use of established 3R principles⁴ as well as the development and testing of new measures as required.
• Request and verify proper implementation in the event of violations of legal and official requirements or deviations from agreed protocols and, if necessary, enforce them with the support of university management.

The responsible animal caretakers:

• Ensure appropriate conditions for the animals in accordance with legal requirements. Deviations are only acceptable in justified individual cases and always require the approval of the responsible regulatory authorities.
• Contribute to the establishment of uniform and transparent processes (standard operation procedures), implement these in their animal facilities and thus ensure professional and standardized animal care.
• Document the suffering and distress caused by genetic modifications to the animals – as required by law – during breeding, keeping and care. This is done in close cooperation with the project managers, the involved researchers, the Animal Protection Officers and, if necessary, the veterinarians and the responsible employees of the regulatory authorities.

The research group leaders and project managers whose teams conduct research on live animals:

• Ensure the precise implementation of legal regulations and in-house quality requirements in their research groups.
• Serve as role models in their capacity as testing supervisors.
• Instruct their team to treat animals with particular care and to be highly sensitive when conducting animal research.
• Ensure that their employees working in animal research complete the instruction, advanced training and continuing education required by law. They follow the recommendations of GV-SOLAS⁵ and the most up-to-date scientific knowledge.

Footnotes

1) Animal Protection Act (Tierschutzgesetz – TierSchG) Date of issue: July 24, 1972

2) Act for the Protection of Animals Used for Research Purposes (Verordnung zum Schutz von zu Versuchszwecken oder zu anderen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken verwendeten Tieren – TierSchVersV) Date of issue: August 1, 2013

3) Animal Welfare Regulations of TUD Dresden University of Technology. Date of issue: April 8, 2022

4) 3R Principle, an approach to animal welfare published in 1959 by the British scientists William Russel and Rex Burch in the book “The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique.”

5) The Society of Laboratory Animal Science (GV-SOLAS) is a registered association that is committed to the responsible handling of animals used in research.