Animal Use and Care

Abstract

Federal legislation requires all suppliers of research animals to hold a license issued by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Class A breeders breed or acquire animals solely for research. Class B breeders don’t breed animals; like brokers, they acquire and re-sell them for research. The major legislation regulating the care and use of research animals is the Animal Welfare Act, which imposes restrictions on any experiment calculated to cause pain. Provisions of the Act are administered by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Their regulations are discussed in detail. To receive NIH support, an institution must submit an animal welfare assurance documenting its procedures for complying with federal regulations and appoint an institutional official with the authority to sign this assurance. It must also appoint an institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC). The IACUC reviews research protocols to ensure regulatory compliance. In addition, each institution must have a training program for animal care personnel and researchers. The Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) accredits institutions that use research animals. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the animal rights movement.