Principles for Working with Animals

In the case of using animals bred by humans for experiments, the following licences (permits) are necessary:

1. The accreditation of the breeding facilities where the animals are kept.

2. The researcher in charge of the experiment must be a certified expert in experiment design and in carrying out experiments in accordance with § 15d par. 3 Act No. 246/1992 Coll., on Animal Welfare, as amended.

3. The approval of the specific experiment itself, which is granted by the departmental state authority on the basis of a written application (e.g. see here).

Not every observation, measurement, or manipulation with animals is an experiment with animals in the sense of the aforementioned Animal Welfare Act No. 246/1992 Coll. In the sense of the Animal Welfare Act, an experiment is only a situation in which the animal is at risk of being hurt or may experience pain, fear, stress, bodily harm, etc. If the research done on animals is not an experiment in this sense, it is not necessary to apply for the aforementioned permits.

If they should mean to carry out research on animals, the researchers of the faculty should submit their application using the pertinent forms (to be downloaded here, in Czech). The Committee for Ethical Research of the Faculty of Humanities, Charles University will then evaluate the application and decide whether it is an experiment in the sense of the Animal Welfare Act. If not, the researcher receives this standpoint in writing and can commence research. If they find it to be an experiment in the sense of the Animal Welfare Act, it is necessary to submit an application to the departmental authority, who shall then approve, deny, or return the application to be supplemented. What is key in this decision is the ratio between the expected degree of suffering/harm to the animal and the significance of the research in terms of the expected advances in scientific knowledge, etc. It is also ascertained whether the goals could also be attained without the use of animals, whether all measures of limiting their suffering have been taken, etc.