CCAC Three Rs Microsite

Welcome to the Three Rs section of the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) website. This microsite aims to provide those involved with the use of animals in science with easily accessible, useful, and relevant information and resources on the Three Rs - Replacement, Reduction and Refinement alternatives.

Replacement alternatives refers to methods which avoid or replace the use of animals in an area where animals would otherwise have been used. This includes both absolute replacements (i.e. replacing animals with inanimate systems, such as computer programs) and relative replacements (i.e. replacing more sentient animals, such as vertebrates, with animals that current scientific evidence indicates have a significantly lower potential for pain perception, such as some invertebrates).

Reduction alternatives refers to any strategy that will result in fewer animals being used to obtain sufficient data to answer the research question, or in maximizing the information obtained per animal and thus potentially limiting or avoiding the subsequent use of additional animals, without compromising animal welfare.

Refinement alternatives refers to the modification of husbandry or experimental procedures to minimize pain and distress, and to enhance the welfare of an animal used in science from the time it is born until its death.

The CCAC is recognized at home and internationally as the centre for the Three Rs in Canada. Integration of the Three Rs within Canada's national organization for the stewardship of animal use in science ensures translation of the broadest range of scientific knowledge into best practice for animal use.

Please be aware that information on the site is not meant to supplant CCAC guidelines, and will not be used as a basis for recommendations made in CCAC Assessment reports.

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