IRISH FACTS

It is estimated that up to 50 million animals are used in research each year worldwide.
In Ireland alone 112,835 animals were used in research in 2008.

 

Animal experiments statistics for 2008

NUMBERS OF ANIMALS

 2008
Total number of animals used (as opposed to no. of procedures on animals) 112,835
Number of transgenic animals used 3,645
Number of genetic defect animals used 1,938
Total GMO’s 5,583
SPECIES OF ANIMALS
No. of Dogs 557
No. of Cats  295
No. of Mice 71,224
No. of Rats 11,741
No. of Guinea Pigs 91
No. of Hamsters 68
No. of Rabbits 204
No. of Ferrets 0
No. of Equines 144
No. of Pigs 224
No. of Goats 0
No. of Sheep 456
No. of Cattle 4,019
No. of other mammals 32
No. of birds 582
No. of fish 23,198
PURPOSE OF EXPERIMENTS
No. of animals used in fundamental studies 29,866
No. of (living) animals used in education and training 93
No. of animals used in R&D for human & veterinary medicine and dentistry 9,581
No. of animals used for veterinary medicine quality control 260
No. of animals used for toxicology & other safety evaluations 52,065
No. of animals used for diagnosis of disease 786
No. of animals used for other purposes 20,184
No. of animals used for human heart disease 2,512
No. of animals used for cancer research 2,461
No. of animals used for nervous and mental disorders 13,312
No. of animals used for other human diseases 11,040
No. of animals used for animal diseases 10,908
TYPE OF TEST
No. of animals used in LD50, LC50 42,721
No. of animals used in acute/sub acute toxicity tests (other lethal methods) 1,866
No. of animals used in skin sensitisation 0
No. of animals used for acute/sub acute non lethal clincal signs 0
No. of animals used for 'other' types of toxicological & safety evaluations 7,463
No. of animals used for sub chronic and chronic toxicity 0
No. of animals used in eye irritancy 0
No. of animals used in carcinogenicity 0
No. of animals used in skin irritation 0
No. of animals used in developmental toxicity 15
Production of monoclonal antibodies not listed
NO. OF ANIMALS USED FOR: 
Toxicity tests for products/substances human medicine/dentistry/vet. medicine 235
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 products/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 51,830
Alcohol and tobacco tests not listed
Total no. of animals used in toxicological and other safety evaluations 52,065
LICENCES
No. of animals used without anaesthesia 68,256
No. of animals used with anaesthesia but not allowed to recover

35,069
No. of animals used with anaesthesia but permitted recovery 9,510
No. of animals used for demonstrations 0
USER ESTABLISMENTS
No. of animals used in Universities & Colleges 27,198
No. of animals used in hospitals 216
No. of animals used in Agricultural & veterinary research stations 5,429
No. of animals used in fisheries institutes 25,004
No. of animals used in commercial establishments 54,988
REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS
Total number of animals used required by law 52,065
Dogs 105
Cats 98
Rabbits 84
Birds 4
Pigs 16
Guinea-Pigs 59
Rats 243
Mice 51,465

Download a copy of the 2008 Statistical Report on the use of Animals for Experimental and other Scientific purposes in Ireland.

 

The number and species of live animals used in scientific procedures
in the years 1993 - 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2008.

SPECIES

 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2002 2005 2008
Mice 20,427 18,535 21,963 26,735 26,795 23,032 31,251 16,790 17,776 71,224
Rats 12,712 13,456 16,637 24,474 21,591 18,814 14,484 8,282 7,722 11,741
Guinea Pigs 1,812 1,400 2,665 1,531 1,576 1,387 1,041 35 4 91
Hamsters 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 68
Other Rodents 603 385 164 118 113 165 133 0 0 0
Rabbits 2,050 1,945 2,484 2,067 579 805 915 130 379 204
Dogs 241 245 172 332 153 190 312 195 167 557
Cats 0 60 60 181 138 74 129 46 119 295
Ferrets 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 0 0
Horses, Donkeys 220 94 29 199 85 102 192 19 189 144
Pigs 288 180 133 124 96 276 844 65 382 224
Goats 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
Sheep 1,085 786 1,164 1,010 655 951 1,472 1,656 601 456
Cattle 2,250 2,593 1,217 1,196 2,057 2,072 1,862 3,778 2,109 4,019
Other Mammals 14 0 12 0 0 0 13 132 48 32
Birds 442 48 86 94 59 1,174 1,229 0 2,024 582
Fish 62 9,076 9,820 19,021 20,218 19,709 20,052 21,046 6,420 23,198
Amphibians 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 42,244 48,803 56,606 77,157 74,148 68,806 73,929 52,203 37,940 112,835

 

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