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Current regulations and requirements for managing an animal care and use program

Lab Animal volume 43, pages 345–346 (2014)Cite this article

In the US, “[t]he use of laboratory animals is governed by an interrelated, dynamic system of regulations, policies, guidelines, and procedures”1. The regulations are developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); the principal policy is contained in the Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals2; and the guidelines are established by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC).

Each institution must establish procedures to manage its animal care and use program. Ensuring that these procedures will result in institutional compliance requires a thorough knowledge of the activities of the regulatory, funding and accrediting agencies. Fortunately, for those responsible for managing such programs, the opportunities for staying current with this dynamic system are numerous, with the active participation of representatives of USDA, PHS (Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare) and AAALAC at numerous meetings and through their own educational vehicles. At a recent webinar hosted by the National Association for Biomedical Research, Dr. Betty Goldentyer and Dr. Robert Gibbens of the USDA addressed more than 50 regulatory questions submitted by participants. This article will address four frequently asked questions and attempt to provide additional clarification based on the responses of the USDA representatives; it has been reviewed by those representatives.

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References

  1. Institute for Laboratory Animal Research. Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals 8th edn. (National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2011).

  2. Public Health Service. Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (US Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC, 1986; amended 2002).

  3. Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Regulations. 9 CFR. § 2.31(d)(5).

  4. American Veterinary Medical Association. Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals: 2013 Edition (AVMA, Schaumberg, IL, 2013).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Association for Biomedical Research, Washington, DC

    B. Taylor Bennett, Andrew D. Cardon & Matthew R. Bailey

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  1. B. Taylor Bennett
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  2. Andrew D. Cardon
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  3. Matthew R. Bailey
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Bennett, B., Cardon, A. & Bailey, M. Current regulations and requirements for managing an animal care and use program. Lab Anim 43, 345–346 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban.622

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