Rats are among the most widely used laboratory animals but are excluded from Animal Welfare Act protections. Understanding their welfare needs and research use helps direct reform efforts.
Laboratory rat welfare is one of the most significant gaps in animal protection law. As the primary animal model in biomedical research, rats number in the millions annually in US research alone - yet they have no federal legal welfare protection. Their intelligence, social complexity, and capacity for suffering is well-documented: rats show empathy, play, and social learning equivalent to many protected species. The exclusion of rats and mice from the AWA is a political decision that reflects agricultural lobbying, not scientific assessment of sentience. Welfare improvements that are voluntary - social housing, enrichment, appropriate endpoints, and analgesia - dramatically improve rat welfare but are inconsistently applied without regulatory requirement. The case for including rats in federal welfare protection is scientifically compelling.