IRISH FACTS

It is estimated that up to 50 million animals are used in research each year worldwide.
In Ireland alone 37,940 animals were used in research in 2005.


  • Mice 17,776

  • Rats 7,722

  • Guinea-Pigs 4

  • Rabbits 379

  • Cats 119

  • Dogs 167

  • Horses, Donkeys 189

  • Pigs 382

  • Sheep 601

  • Cattle 2,109

  • Other mammals 48

  • Fish 6,420

 

  

Animal experiments statistics for 2005

NUMBERS OF ANIMALS

 2005
Total number of animals used (as opposed to no. of procedures on animals) 37,940
Number of transgenic animals used 2,208
Number of genetic defect animals used 1,128
Total GMO’s 3,336
SPECIES OF ANIMALS
No. of Dogs 167
No. of Cats  119
No. of Mice 17,776
No. of Rats 7,722
No. of Guinea Pigs 4
No. of Hamsters 0
No. of Rabbits 379
No. of Ferrets 0
No. of Equines 189
No. of Pigs 382
No. of Goats 0
No. of Sheep 601
No. of Cattle 2,109
No. of other mammals 48
No. of fish 6,420
PURPOSE OF EXPERIMENTS
No. of animals used in fundamental studies 24,371
No. of (living) animals used in education and training 688
No. of animals used for human heart disease 2,497
No. of animals used for cancer research 1,115
No. of animals used for nervous and mental disorders 7,335
No. of animals used for other human diseases 12,627
No. of animals used for animal diseases 3,472
Total no. of animals for human and animal disease 27,086
No. of dogs used in 'other' toxicolgical & safety evaluations 0
No. of dogs for human disease 38
No. of dogs for production/quality control for human medicine & dentistry 42
No. of dogs for toxicological tests specific to legislation of single EU state 87
Total no. of dogs used  167
No. of cats for toxicological tests specific to legislation of single EU state 64
No. of cats for production/quality control for human medicine & dentistry 45
No. of cats used for products/devices for human heart diseases 10
Total no. of cats used 119
TYPE OF TEST
No. of animals used in LD50, LC50 875
No. of animals used in acute/sub acute toxicity tests (other lethal methods) 4,363
No. of animals used in skin sensitisation 0
No. of animals used for acute/sub acute non lethal clincal signs 15
No. of animals used for 'other' types of toxicological & safety evaluations 0
No. of animals used for sub chronic and chronic toxicity 1,465
Eye irritancy tests  0
Carcinogenicity test  0
Skin irritation tests 0
Pyrogenicity tests not listed not listed
Production of monoclonal antibodies not listed
NO OF ANIMALS USED FOR: 
Toxicity tests for products/substances human medicine/dentistry/vet. medicine 316
Toxicity tests for products/substances in agricutlture 0
Toxicity tests fror products/substances for industry 0
Toxicity tests for products/substances for household products 0
Toxicity tests for proucts/substances for cosmetics & toiletries 0
Toxicity tests for products/substances for human food additives 0
Toxcity tests for products/substances for animal food additives 0
Toxcity tests for potential or actual contaminents in the environment 0
Other toxicological or safety evaluations 6,553
Alcohol and tobacco tests not listed
Total no of animals used in toxicological and other safety evaluations 6,869
LICENCES
No. of animals used without anaesthesia 21,929
No. of animals used with anaesthesia but not allowed to recover

8,454
No. of animals used with anaesthesia but permitted recovery 7,557
No. of animals used for demonstrations 113
USER ESTABLISMENTS
No. of animals used in Universities & Colleges 28,904
No. of animals used in hospitals 978
No. of animals used in Agricultural & veterinary research stations 2,177
No. of animals used in fisheries institutes 725
No. of animals used in commercial establishments 5,426
REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS
Total number of animals used required by law 7,529
Dogs 129
Cats 109
Horses 172
Sheep 72
Cattle 344
Mice 6,703

Download a copy of the 2005 Statistical Report on the use of Animals for Experimental and other Scientific purposes in Ireland.

To see breakdown of 2002 statistics click here.

The number and species of live animals used in scientific procedures
in the years 1992 - 1999, 2002 and 2005

SPECIES

 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2002 2005
Mice 15,739 20,427 18,535 21,963 26,735 26,795 23,032 31,251 16,790 17,776
Rats 2,559 12,712 13,456 16,637 24,474 21,591 18,814 14,484 8,282 7,722
Guinea Pigs 464 1,812 1,400 2,665 1,531 1,576 1,387 1,041 35 4
Hamsters 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
Other Rodents 202 603 385 164 118 113 165 133 0 0
Rabbits 1,586 2,050 1,945 2,484 2,067 579 805 915 130 379
Dogs 90 241 245 172 332 153 190 312 195 167
Cats 8 0 60 60 181 138 74 129 46 119
Ferrets 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 0
Horses, Donkeys 21 220 94 29 199 85 102 192 19 189
Pigs 197 288 180 133 124 96 276 844 65 382
Goats 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Sheep 836 1,085 786 1,164 1,010 655 951 1,472 1,656 601
Cattle 538 2,250 2,593 1,217 1,196 2,057 2,072 1,862 3,778 2,109
Other Mammals 38 14 0 12 0 0 0 13 132 48
Birds 41 442 48 86 94 59 1,174 1,229 0 2,024
Fish 150 62 9,076 9,820 19,021 20,218 19,709 20,052 21,046 6,420
Amphibians 0 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 22,469 42,244 48,803 56,606 77,157 74,148 68,806 73,929 52,203 37,940

Source: Department of Health
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