During this on-demand session tutor Dr Nikki Osborne discusses: * what is welfare, the five freedoms & 'a life worth living' * why animal welfare is important - scientifically & ethically * how our understanding of a good life for laboratory animals is changing, * the laboratory animal's lifetime experience, * what refinement requires in practice & factors to consider, * sources of laboratory animals, plus husbandry & care, * the importance of good animal handling & knowing what is 'normal', * experimental procedures & assessing welfare, * humane endpoints & methods of killing * the refinement loop & marginal gains. * freely available tools and resources to support individuals to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills further.