Chapter 3 - Regulations, Policies, and Guidelines Impacting Laboratory Animal Welfare

Abstract

Animal welfare laws and regulations vary tremendously across the globe. In the United States, animal welfare oversight consists of a highly interrelated dynamic network of laws, regulations, and policies that are implemented and overseen by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, veterinary staff, regulatory authorities, funding agencies, and the voluntary accreditation process. Other global programs consist of a network of laws and regulations but vary on the placement of authority, responsibility for animal welfare, and the nature of their standards. This chapter provides a review of animal welfare oversight in the United States, Canada, Europe, China, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and India. Contributions by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences, International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, and the World Organisation for Animal Health are acknowledged.