Unit IV

Part – 2
Prevention of cruelty to animal act
1960
 Definition
OBJECTIVE:
• In modern day research animals are – important experimental subjects
because of physiological similarity to human beings.
• To establish safety and efficacy of drugs experiments on animal
unavoidable.
• Clinical trails under D&C act preceded by data generation on animal
toxicology and pharmacology.
• Implies that animals may be subjected to pain/injury is unethical.
• The prevention of cruelty to animals act 1960 has been enacted to prevent
unnecessary pain on suffering on animals.
• Breeding of and experiments on animals rules, 1998 have been
incorporated in this act.
• This act extends to whole India except Jammu & Kashmir.
 Definition
DEFINITIONS

• Animal: Any living creature other than a human being

• Breeder: Person including institution, which breeds animals for the
purpose of transfer to the authorized institution for performing
experiments.
• Committee: Any individual, company, firm, corporation, institution
other than schools up to higher secondary level, which performs
experiments on animals.
 Definition
DEFINITIONS
• Experiment: Any program/project involving experiments on
animal/animals for the purpose of advancement by new
discovery of physiological knowledge which will be useful for
saving or prolonging life or alleviating suffering or for
combating any disease whether on human beings or animals.
• Institutional Animal Ethics Committee: A body comprising of a
group of persons recognized and registered by the committee
for the purpose of control and supervision on animals
performed in an establishment which is constituted and
operated in accordance with procedures specified for the
purpose by the committee.
 Definition
DEFINITIONS
• Contract Research: Any research undertaken by an
individual, company, firm, corporation or institution on
behalf of a foreign individual, company, corporation or
institution for any consideration.
• Collaborative Research: Any research undertaken
between two or more research institutions on an equal
footing which does not involve any financial or monetary
considerations and is undertaken solely for the purpose
of advancement od scientific research and human
welfare.
 Institutional Animal Ethics Committee
Every Institutional Animal Ethics Committee shall include:
• A biological scientist
• Two scientists from different biological disciplines
• A veterinarian invited in the case of animals, The scientist in
charge of animals facility of the establishment concerned
• A scientist from outside the institution
• A non-scientist socially aware member
• A representative or nominee of the committee.
• A specialist may be co-opted while reviewing special projects
using hazardous agents such as radioactive substances and
deadly microorganisms.
 CPCSEA Guideline Breeding and stocking of animals
• Only registered establishments can carry on business of
breeding of animals for the purpose of experiments.
• Every breeder shall apply for registration with in 60 days
experiments on animals and stop breeding should from the
date of commencement of breeding of and be stopped if the
committee refuses registration.
• The application should be made in specified format to the
member secretary by the committee in this regard.
• For registration of establishments/breeders the Govt. of India
has setup the “committee for the purpose control and
supervision of experiments on animals” under the ministry of
social justice and empowerment, shanti Bhavan, New Delhi.
• The secretary of the committee may ask for the information
relating to the premises where the experiments are to be
conducted, animal house facilities, details of breeding of animals
and its trade, other infrastructure including availability of
manpower trained in handling animals and for verification of facts
mentioned in the application for registration.
• And if satisfied, shall register such establishment or the breeder.
• A breeder shall comply with all the conditions specified at the time
of registration.
• Every registered establishment shall maintain a register as per the
specified format and keep complete particulars about the kind of
animal to be used for conducting experiment.
• The health of the animal, nature of the experiment.
• The reasons to perform such experiment on particular species
• The member secretary/officer authorized by the committee
may examine the register so maintained, and if he is not
satisfied irrespective of the opportunity given for
improvement, he may bring the same to the notice of the
committee seeking directions in this regard.
• The animals shall be stocked by the breeder and the
establishment in the prescribed manner.
• Animal houses shall be located in a quiet atmosphere
undisturbed by traffic and the premises kept tidy, hygienic and
protected from drought and extremes of weather.
• Animal cages for small animals stables for large animals so that
it may be comfort and overcrowding avoided.
• Standards have been laid down by the Indian standards
institution (ISI) for the cage and stables.
• Animal attendants must be trained and experienced in duties.
• Before acquiring an animal or conducting any experiment on an
animal every registered establishment shall apply for permission
of the committee/IAEC.
• The secretary of the committee shall cause the application for
permission to be brought before the committee/IAEC after
scrutinizing if satisfied, may grant the permission to the
establishment stating the name of the species and the number
of animals that can be acquired for carrying out the experiments.
• While granting permission for conducting experiments on
animals they may put conditions as it may deem fit to ensure
that animals are not subjected to unnecessary pain or suffering
before, during or after the performance of experiments on them.
 Cruelty to animals
1. subjecting any animal to unnecessary pain or suffering or
treatment, or
2. Employing any unfit animal for work or labor, or c) Willfully
and unreasonably administering any injurious drug or
substance to any domestic or captive animal, or
3. Keeping or confining any animal in any cage of insufficient size
not permitting it reasonable movement, or
4. Failure to provide any animal with sufficient food, drink or
shelter by its owner, or
5. Needlessly mutilating any animal or killing any animal in an
unnecessarily cruel manner.
 Performance of experiments
• Performing experiments on animals.
• For the advancement by new discovery of knowledge, which will
be useful for saving or prolonging life or for combating any disease
in human beings, animals, plants is lawful.
• The experiment shall neither be performed for the purpose of
attaining or retaining manual skill except in schools, colleges and
recognized training institutions, nor by way of an illustration or as a
public demonstration.
• When experiments are performed in any institution the
responsibility is placed on the person in charge of the institution
and incase of outside responsibility will be his own.
• Experiments performed under the supervision of a qualified
person.
 Performance of experiments
• The qualified person shall hold a degree or diploma in Veterinary
science or medicine or Laboratory animal science of a university or
an institution recognized by the government for the purpose.
• Experiments shall be performed with due care and humanity.
• Animals must not subjected to unnecessary pain or suffering before,
during or after the performance of experiments on them.
• Experiments with severe operations shall be done under anesthetic
environment by a trained person to prevent the animal feeling pain.
• In the experiment under anesthesia if animal injures severely that
recovery involve pain and suffering then they shall be destroyed
humanely.
• No experiment shall be repeated without previous justification if the
result of such experiment is already known.
 TRANSFER AND ACQUISITION OF ANIMALS FOR EXPERIMENT
• Transfer of any animal by way of sale by a breeder to an
unregistered establishment is not permitted.
• After acquisition animals shall not be transferred to any person
except to a registered breeder.
• However the animals used for experimentation in a breed
improvement program may be given out by the breeder
institution for domestic use.
 RECORD
• Every establishment/IAEC shall maintain a record of the
animals in its control and custody and furnish such information
as the committee may from time to time require in the
specified format.
• All laboratories shall inform the exact number/species of
animals to the secretary or any other officer in this regards by
the committee as per the specified format.