Three Rs Principle

The Three Rs Principle—Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement—is a guideline for ethical animal research. Replacement encourages using non-animal methods whenever possible. Reduction means designing experiments to use the fewest animals necessary to obtain reliable results. Refinement involves modifying procedures to minimize pain, suffering, and distress for the animals involved. Together, these principles aim to ensure that animal use is justified, responsible, and humane, balancing scientific progress with compassionate treatment of animals.