Frequently asked questions

Get answers to common questions about our research involving animals.

How many procedures do you carry out on animals each year?

In 2023, we carried out 28,726 procedures. This includes the natural breeding of genetically altered animals, where the birth of each animal counts as one procedure.

Do you test cosmetics or household products on animals?

No, never. This has been illegal in the European Union since 2009. It is illegal in the UK and Europe to use animals to test cosmetics or their ingredients.

What animals are housed in your research facilities?

Our research is almost exclusively on laboratory-bred rodents and fish and is aimed at the alleviation of human and veterinary disease through the advancement of medical, dental, biological and veterinary understanding.

Do animals benefit from animal research?

Thanks to animal research, vets have access to medicines like worming tablets and vaccines for rabies, distemper and kennel cough. Far from being removed from animal research, pets, farm animals and animals in the wild all benefit from research using animals. All the veterinary medicines available to us today have been developed and tested using animals. This research has also been instrumental in finding medicines for human use that can then be used for animals as well. (Source: Understanding Animal Research).

Do you carry out research using cats?

No. Cats have not been used in our research since 2012. Before that, they were used to investigate amblyopia (lazy eye).