IRISH FACTS

It is estimated that up to 50 million animals are used in research each year worldwide.
In Ireland alone 52,203 animals were used in research in 2002.
The pie chart shows the breakdown of animals used in research in Ireland.

  
  • Mice 16,970

  • Rats 8,282

  • Guinea-Pigs 35

  • Hamsters 6

  • Rabbits 130

  • Cats 46

  • Dogs 195

  • Ferrets 21

  • Horses, Donkeys 19

  • Pigs 65

  • Goats 2

  • Sheep 1,656

  • Cattle 3,778

  • Other mammals 132

  • Fish 21,046


Animal experiments statistics for 2002

NUMBERS OF ANIMALS

 2002
Total number of animals used (as opposed to no. of procedures on animals) 52,203
Number of transgenic animals used 949
Number of genetic defect animals used 580
Total GMO’s 1,529
SPECIES OF ANIMALS
No. of Dogs 195
No. of Cats  46
No. of Mice 16,970
No. of Rats 8,828
No. of Guinea Pigs 35
No. of Hamsters 6
No. of Rabbits 130
No. of Ferrets 21
No. of Equines 19
No. of Pigs 65
No. of Goats 2
No. of Sheep 1,656
No. of Cattle 3,778
No. of other mammals 132
No. of fish 21,046
PURPOSE OF EXPERIMENTS
No. of animals used in fundamental studies 20,454
No. of (living) animals used in education and training 103
No. of animals used for human heart disease 1,046
No. of animals used for cancer research 2,488
No. of animals used for nervous and mental disorders 8,230
No. of animals used for other human diseases 8,015
No. of animals used for animal diseases 5,647
Total no. of animals for human and animal disease 25,426
No. of dogs used in 'other' toxicolgical & safety evaluations 164
No. of dogs for human disease 1
No. of dogs for animal disease 20
No. of dogs for toxicological tests specific to legislation of single EU state 164
Total no. of dogs used  195
No. of cats for toxicological tests specific to legislation of single EU state 46
Total no. of cats used 46
TYPE OF TEST
No of animals used in LD50, LC50 1,300
No of animals used in acute/sub acute toxicity tests (other lethal methods) 0
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 3,192
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 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
Potential environmental contaminents 0
Toxicity tests of human medicine, dentistry & veterinary 3,238
Alcohol and tobacco tests not listed
Total no of animals used in toxicological and other safety evaluations 4,538
LICENCES
No. of animals used without anaesthesia 40,996
No. of animals used anaesthetied but don’t recover

4,556
No. of animals used with anaesthesia but permitted recovery 6,551
No. of animals used for demonstrations 69
USER ESTABLISMENTS
No. of animals used in Universities & Colleges 22,374
No. of animals used in hospitals 1,555
No. of animals used in Agricultural & vet research stations 6,838
No. of animals used in fisheries institutes 21,000
No. of animals used in commercial establishments 436

Download a copy of the 2002 Statistical Report on the use of Animals for Experimental and other Scientific purposes in Ireland.

Microsoft Word Format or Acrobat PDF Format

 

The number and species of live animals used in scientific procedures
in the years 1990 - 1999 and 2002

SPECIES

 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2002
Mice 23,470 17,550 15,739 20,427 18,535 21,963 26,735 26,795 23,032 31,251 16,790
Rats 5,391 3,053 2,559 12,712 13,456 16,637 24,474 21,591 18,814 14,484 8,282
Guinea Pigs 617 423 464 1,812 1,400 2,665 1,531 1,576 1,387 1,041 35
Hamsters 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6
Other Rodents 192 249 202 603 385 164 118 113 165 133 0
Rabbits 1,801 1,112 1,586 2,050 1,945 2,484 2,067 579 805 915 130
Dogs 204 45 90 241 245 172 332 153 190 312 195
Cats 33 17 8 0 60 60 181 138 74 129 46
Ferrets 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21
Horses, Donkeys 43 34 21 220 94 29 199 85 102 192 19
Pigs 109 153 197 288 180 133 124 96 276 844 65
Goats 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Sheep 1,001 990 836 1,085 786 1,164 1,010 655 951 1,472 1,656
Cattle 1,629 1,488 538 2,250 2,593 1,217 1,196 2,057 2,072 1,862 3,778
Other Mammals 10 37 38 14 0 12 0 0 0 13 132
Birds 13 44 41 442 48 86 94 59 1,174 1,229 0
Fish 900 0 150 62 9,076 9,820 19,021 20,218 19,709 20,052 21,046
Amphibians 0 4 0 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 35,413 25,199 22,469 42,244 48,803 56,606 77,157 74,148 68,806 73,929 52,203

Source: Department of Health
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