Animal Care
Studying animals in research is a privilege.Animal care is a top priority to the scientific community.Â
Lab animals are helping us unlock the mysteries of disease and deserve our respect and the best possible care.
The U.S. federal government strictly regulates animal testing and research. Federal law, the Animal Welfare Act, includes specific mandatory requirements for housing, feed, air ventilation and alleviation and elimination of pain, as well as exercise of dogs and the psychological well-being of primates. Further, each institution must establish an animal care and use committee that includes an outside member of the public and a veterinarian.
This committee oversees, inspects and monitors every study to help ensure optimal animal care. The scientific community advocates the highest quality of animal care and treatment for two key reasons. First, the use of animals in research is a privilege, and those animals that are helping us unlock the mysteries of disease deserve our respect and the best possible care. Second, a well-treated animal will provide more reliable scientific results, which is the goal of all researchers.
