Responsibilities of the investigator in the utilization of laboratory animals

Man's utilization of animals for any purpose is a privilege which carries with it a series of responsiblities. In the case of research animals, these fall into three broad categories: 1) technical, 2) ethical, and 3) legal. The technical include factors such as selecting the proper animal, providing the proper environment and care, and designing experiments to use as few animals as possible while maintaining scientific validity. Ethical considerations stem from an inherent respect and reverence for life which anyone utilization animals should have. This carries with it a responsibility to assure proper care and humane treatment. Some legal requirements have resulted from the ethical considerations. While these vary considerably, nearly all countries have some laws related to this subject.