Labs are euthanizing thousands of mice in response to coronavirus pandemic

From the article:

Last week, confronting the possibility of extreme animal care shortages and disruptions to research, universities across the country asked labs to think hard about the mice they actually need, to freeze the embryos of valuable or unique strains, and—in many cases—to cull the rest.

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[T]he heads of major lab animal facilities say the efforts are needed to ensure both the safety of their staff and the welfare of the remaining animals in their care. Given the possibility of veterinarians, technicians, and other workers getting sick or being forced to stay at home, lab animal facilities need to make sure they have the resources to feed, clean, and provide medical care to thousands of animals, says Peter Smith, associate director of Yale University’s Animal Resources Center. “This is a difficult situation for everyone, and I assure you the decision to euthanize animals is not made lightly.”