Current and future policies regarding laboratory animal welfare

Laboratory animal welfare has made tremendous strides in recent years. The first laboratory animal welfare law was not enacted until 1966, and laboratory animal medicine as a specialty did not even exist until the 1960s. The AAALAC accreditation program has stimulated improvements in accredited institutions, and the FDA and EPA Good Laboratory Practices Acts had a major impact on industry in the 1970s, but the most visible impact upon academic institutions was made by NIH enforcing their Policy in the 1980s by suspending funding to several programs and institutions. The Association of American Medical Colleges and the Association of American Universities jointly published Recommendations for Governance and Management of Institutional Animal Resources in October 1985, following very closely the provisions of NIH and the Guide. Animal rights groups have even contributed toward the improvement of animal welfare policies by their recent flurry of demonstrations, thefts, and vandalism. The end result has been an impressively rapid upgrading and standardization of animal care and use policies and programs at all types of institutions that use animals in their work. Most major institutions now have qualified and credentialed laboratory animal medicine specialists directing their programs, conscientious and responsive animal care and use committees overseeing and evaluating animal welfare, and qualified, well-trained animal care staff and investigators. Institutions that do not meet these standards undergo great pressure from the USDA, NIH, their peers, and the public to bring their programs into compliance quickly and appropriately.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)