For example, exercise areas may be provided for group housing and socialization of canines or non-human primates. These spaces may be in addition to the holding rooms in which they are kept and can increase the size and configuration of the building. In some cases, these areas may include outdoor enclosures in order to allow the animals to have access to natural light and fresh air. Most animals live naturally in social groups and, when possible, facilities should be designed to accommodate these types of housing situations. There are facilities that have opted for housing animals in social groups directly on the floor of holding rooms, in some cases utilizing contact bedding. In other cases, custom caging is employed to allow for the housing of large groups within a room.

Many animals enjoy having a vertical environment in which to live as opposed to the mostly two-dimensional environments provided by traditional housing units. These vertical environments can be created through the use of resting benches, shelving, slings, and other devices mounted to the walls. Connecting tunnels have also been successfully employed to allow animals to be able to move from one cage to the next and to give them a more three-dimensional view of their world.

As the design of animal facilities has more to do with the processes that take place within them than with anything else, careful attention must be paid to the husbandry concerns of any new housing methodology. How will the bedding and waste be handled? Should there be drains? Many of the methodologies for these housing configurations still have to be harmonized into ìbest practicesî and so may be experimental. Ensuring the room has the appropriate architectural and engineering features to make it flexible and adaptable should be considered as a way to minimize risk.

One of the most important forms of environmental enrichment that can be provided to animals is actual human contact and interaction. Some facilities have adopted the practice of allowing their staff time to do nothing more than play and socialize with animals in their facilities. These interactions benefit not only the animal but the staff as well. Providing these types of environments can impact the ability for the facility to attract and retain qualified staff as well as improve morale. Staff will have a tendency to take a greater sense of pride and ownership in their work. This can create a less stressful work environment and if employees are less stressed, it translates that the animals will be less stressed. Remember, creating appropriate spaces within the facility for the human occupants is just as important.

One option for increasing the interaction between animals and staff members has been to employ walls made of glass, Plexiglas, or similar material which allows animals to be viewed from the corridors. In fact, except for the diurnal cycle requirements of rodents, there are few species for which windows could not be provided within their holding rooms and one can always use closures and coverings of various types to block light as needed.

As a word of caution, one must always be aware of the impact any change in the animalsí environment has on research. After all, lab animal science is the study of the effect internal and external stimuli have on the physiology and behavior of animals. Any change in the animalsí environment could have an impact and should be well conceived and controlled. Some might argue the changes are purely for anthropomorphic reasons and that there is no scientific basis or merit for it. This may be true; however, whether we like it or not, the general public does think in anthropomorphic terms.

The general public accepts that animal research is needed. It is the way in which animals are housed and treated that activists focus on with their outdated and sensational campaigns, playing on anthropomorphic feelings. Unfortunately, it may not be enough to show pictures and tell stories of the countless ways in which animal research has helped billions of people over the years. Maybe in looking for ways to augment our current education and awareness campaigns with demonstrations of how research animals are housed humanely and treated with the respect they deserve is something to be considered - and how we design our buildings can have a role in that effort.

Institutions could opt to design their facilities such that they are conducive not only to the welfare of the animals but so the facilities are more friendly to the general public, even creating spaces where visitors can view animals in the facility without actually coming into contact with them. Exercise and group housing areas probably provide better opportunities than procedure rooms, but why not show off that two million dollar robotic cage wash area via a glass partition as an example of how facilities have moved into the 21st century? Just imagine the impact of seeing staff and dogs playing and running around each other can have and what a stark contrast it is to how activists portray animal research. Such facilities also provide a way to educate other employees so they can take pride in the way their organization treats animals in research. The public is looking for a way to feel good about animal research. They know this research exists, and hiding it can create uneasiness. As they become more educated, see the advances made and the respect with which animals are treated today, they may become stronger allies in reducing the tolerance for the extremist positions taken by animal activists.