ANIMAL CARE AND USE REGULATIONS

The Animal Welfare Act:

The Animal Welfare Act, a federal law, defines standards for the humane handling, care, treatment and transportation of dogs, cats, nonhuman primates, rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils and farm animals used in biomedical research, education and product testing. These standards require the appropriate use of anesthetic, analgesic, tranquilizer and euthanasia drugs. The Act falls under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture with responsibility for administration delegated to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Enforcement includes unannounced inspections by USDA veterinarians. Laboratory bred species of rats and mice, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish are not currently covered by Animal Welfare Regulations.

The Public Health Act of New York State:

The Public Health Act of New York State regulates all laboratories using living animals. Animal research facilites must be licensed by the New York State Department of Health. The New York State Department of Health Inspector makes unannounced visits and evaluates the care and use of all live vertebrate animals used or intended for use in biomedical research, teaching or testing. The State Inspector examines the animal care and research program and facility for compliance with the USDA Regulations, State Regulations and the PHS Policy on the Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.

The University's Animal Welfare Assurance:

All recipients of U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) funds are required to file an Animal Welfare Assurance with the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) at NIH. This Assurance describes in detail the policies and procedures we have established that assure compliance with the PHS Animal Welfare Policy. A copy of the Animal Welfare Assurance is kept on file in the Office for Protection From Research Risks (OPRR). The Policy requires the establishment of an institutional committee with certain responsibilities and obligations. Our required committee is called The University Committee on Animal Resources.

The University Committee on Animal Resources (UCAR) is the institutional review board which among other functions, must review and approve all animal research protocols and conducts semiannual inspections and evaluations of both animal care and use facilities and programs. UCAR uses the PHS Guide and AWA Regulations as the basis for this review.

Association for Accreditation and Assessment of Laboratory Animal Care:

Since 1966, the animal facilities and programs of the School of Medicine and Dentistry have been accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC International). AAALAC performs on-site peer review and evaluations as part of a voluntary program established in an effort to provide institutions with an unbiased critical review of their animal facilities and programs. While AAALAC has no legal standing, it is the only accrediting body recognized by the Public Health Service for demonstrating compliance with the "Guide" as required by the Public Health Service Policy.

The National Institutes of Health and the scientific community at large recognize accreditation by AAALAC as a measure of excellence. Investigators are encouraged to specify that the animal facilities and programs of the School of Medicine and Dentistry are accredited by AAALAC in both grant applications and in research reports meant for publication. Investigators should include the following statement in all published articles:

"The animal research herein reported was conducted in facilities with programs accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care".