AALAS Position Statement on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals The American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) endorses the United States Government Principles for the Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals Used in Testing, Research, and Training, and requires that all papers published in the Journal of the Association for Laboratory Animal Science report research conducted in conformance with these principles. Research for papers submitted from outside the United States must be in conformance with the guidelines of that country's government. The editor reserves the right to reject papers reporting results of research not adhering to these principles.
Principles for the Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals Used in Testing, Research, and Training The development of knowledge necessary for the improvement of the health and well-being of humans as well as other animals requires in vivo experimentation with a wide variety of animal species. Whenever U.S. Government agencies develop requirements for testing, research, or training procedures involving the use of vertebrate animals, the following principles shall be considered; and whenever these agencies actually perform or sponsor such procedures, the responsible institutional official shall ensure that these principles are adhered to:
For guidance throughout these principles please refer to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals prepared by the Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, National Research Council.
International Standards for Assessing the Quality of Laboratory Rodents Background Laboratory animals are essential for biomedical research as exemplified by the fact that approximately half of the extramural grants awarded annually by the US National Institutes of Health involve animal experimentation. The significant majority of the animals used for biomedical research are mice and rats. Therefore, the quality and reliability of laboratory rodents have a major influence on research and its benefits for human health. Health care and genetic standards for laboratory rodents have improved greatly during the last quarter century, but face new challenges due to the accelerating development and diversity of genetically engineered animals. Current estimates suggest that use of genetically novel rodents has significantly increased among major US research centers; a trend that is likely to continue as decoding of the human and mouse genomes proceeds. Furthermore, the exchange of rodents and rodent products is expanding as national and global collaborations related to animal experimentation increase. In light of these developments, AALAS encourages and supports the establishment of common standards for the quality of rodents and rodent products, to strengthen and protect the crucial investment in animal-based research.
Issues
Positions
Improving the Scientific Basis for Regulation of Animal Care and Use Background The care and use of laboratory animals in biomedical research and testing is highly regulated. Regulation, together with effective voluntary programs such as AAALAC accreditation, improves the health and welfare of laboratory animals and reassures the public that animal care and use is humane and efficient. Animal-directed regulation evolved from four primary sources. The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, first published by the National Academy of Sciences in 1963 and revised most recently in 1996, provides benchmark recommendations for care and use. It evolved from concepts first proposed during the 1950s by the Animal Care Panel which eventually became AALAS. Thus, AALAS has been instrumental in fostering humane standards for animal experimentation. The Animal Welfare Act, first enacted in 1966, and revised most recently in 1985 and the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, derived from the Health Research Extension Act of 1985and revised in 1996, provide policies, laws and standards complementary to the Guide. Federal Principles for the Care and Use of Animals Used in Testing, Research and Training enunciated in 1983 help to govern animal use performed or sponsored by the US Government.
Because the regulation of animal care and use has a profound influence on biomedical research, it should be based on sound scientific and ethical criteria. In this context, AALAS encourages the development of principles for assessing the quality and impact of animal-based regulation to ensure that it meets these criteria.
Infrastructural Support for Animal-Based Research Background The infrastructural needs of animal-based research in the new millennium will differ significantly from those of prior decades. Laboratory animal science/medicine benefited from new diagnostic tests and great improvements in the microbiological quality of laboratory animals. The last decade has challenged biomedical science to produce, house and care for high quality animals, the populations of which are increasing by at least 20 percent per year through the advances and promise of animal-related biotechnology. This task will continue to be compounded by the enhanced intrinsic value of genetically altered rodents, the research subjects currently experiencing the most rapidly growing use. AALAS believes that the evolving and sophisticated use of novel animals must be complemented by new strategies and support in the design, development and delivery of animal-related infrastructure to meet the needs of biomedical research.
Health Care for Genetically Altered Animals Background The microbiological quality of laboratory mice and other rodents has improved significantly during the past 20 years. This has been due, in large part, to improved surveillance programs and housing. However, as the use of laboratory rodents in biomedical research has increased, largely because of transgenic and gene targeting technology, individual animals have assumed great value. They may also have reduced reproductive efficiency and lowered resistance to disease caused by unanticipated phenotypic expression of a genetic alteration. Thus, such animals may respond atypically to infectious agents compared to “normal” immunocompetent animals. Cutting edge biomedical research demands the use of only the highest quality, microbiologically and genetically defined animals. This is a critical requirement that will continue to grow along with rodent use. (1)
References
Recognition and Alleviation of Pain and Distress in Laboratory Animals Background The Animal Welfare Act mandates that Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) oversee the care and use of animals covered by the Act. IACUCs are composed of scientists, veterinarians and at least one public member. They must assess warm-blooded animal research protocols to determine if (1) proposed animal use is essential for achieving relevant scientific goals, (2) the appropriate species have been selected, (3) the number of animals requested is properly justified, (4) the care of animals is appropriate, (5) provision for alleviating pain or distress is appropriate, and (6) alternatives to studies that might cause pain or distress have been sought. (1) The Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (which implements the Health Research Extension Act of 1985 and the U.S. Government Principles for the Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals used in Testing, Research, and Training) adopts a similar position that is applicable to all vertebrate animal research protocols. (2)
The Animal Welfare Act is administered by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), whereas the PHS Policy is administered and coordinated by the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW, formerly the Office for Protection from Research Risks). (3) These agencies, the laws and policies they administer, highly respected voluntary programs, such as the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International, (4) and local IACUCs provide effective, comprehensive assessment and monitoring to assure humane animal care and use.
A significant provision of the Animal Welfare Act requires that institutions provide an annual report indicating the number of covered species used in the following categories: (5)
Category C - animals in which procedures caused no pain or distress; Category D - animals in which pain and distress during procedures was appropriately relieved by pain- or distress-relieving drugs; Category E - animals involved in procedures which cause pain or distress that was not relieved by drugs for scientific reasons.
Animal use reported in Category E must be accompanied by an explanation and justification as to why drugs to relieve pain and distress were withheld. This information is readily accessible to the public through the Freedom of Information Act. (6)
The current USDA reporting categories have been in use for many years and would benefit from revision and expansion to improve their utility. Many IACUCs have recognized that the USDA system is outdated and have developed categories pertaining to the extent of pain and distress that are more accurate and informative. The USDA is currently reviewing policy pertaining to the annual report, which is a welcome initiative. However, it appears that potential revisions may not address the major limitation of the current categories: inadequate discrimination regarding the intensity or duration of pain or distress. In fact, they may further reduce the accuracy of reporting by increasing assignment to Category E of animals that experience mild or questionable pain or distress. It will be unfortunate if the policy revision misses the opportunity to improve reporting categories.
Use of Animals in Precollege Education Overview This position statement presents guidelines and resources for the humane care and responsible use of animals in precollege education. This document also offers recommendations on classroom dissection and on the use of animals in science fair projects.
Introduction The American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) recognizes that the appropriate and humane use of animals in the elementary and secondary classrooms can provide significant educational benefits to the students, and that a positive interaction between students and animals in the classroom enhances not only scientific learning but also provides an additional avenue promoting the development and growth of the students’ sense of responsibility and respect for all living things.
As part of its broader educational mission to ensure that all animal use is performed responsibly and humanely, AALAS has developed a series of species-specific informational pamphlets about species commonly found in classrooms settings such as mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, reptiles, and amphibians. These pamphlets can be found on the AALAS web site. Additionally, AALAS recognizes that other organizations have developed similar guidelines and recommends that teachers and educators familiarize themselves with these documents. These guidelines are:
Although developed by different organizations, the five documents above have a lot in common and are in harmony with each other. The ILAR principles are listed below with additional comments that suggest practical approaches to educators who want to ensure the ethical and humane treatment of animals in their classrooms.
Principles and Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Precollege Education
AALAS recommends three reference documents that provide information about the composition and function of an animal care and use committee and that can be used as a basis for review and approval of animals in the classroom. These are:
Recommendation on Classroom Dissection Classroom dissection of nonhuman vertebrate animals is a useful adjunct to the biology curriculum if done with well-defined educational objectives and an appropriateness for the grade level and maturity of the students.
The animal used should represent the lowest phylogenic species that will satisfy educational objectives.
The dissection activity must be well supervised to ensure that:
Alternatives to animal dissection should be used whenever they would adequately serve as substitutes. Students’ views on dissection should be openly discussed and respected with non-dissection alternatives made available when feasible and the student allowed to opt out of the dissection if no alternative is possible.
Recommendation on the Use of Animals in Science Fair Projects The use of nonhuman vertebrate animals in science fairs is a privilege and should adhere to the same high standards that are used in the scientific community to ensure the welfare of both the animals and the student.
All animals used must be treated humanely and cared for properly at all times:
Teachers and students who will handle or care for the animals should be trained in proper methods and techniques so as not to cause harm or stress to the animals, themselves, or others.
Except for observational studies, all research involving vertebrate animals should be directly supervised by the teacher or other professional.
In addition, AALAS recommends that individuals involved in science fairs familiarize themselves with the International Rules for Precollege Science Research: Guidelines for Science and Engineering Fairs published by Science Service, Washington, DC (http://www.sciserv.org/isef/document/Rule2005.pdf). These rules govern all science fair projects at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and all affiliated fairs and are a detailed extension of the ILAR Guidelines. Strict adherence to the rules and guidelines governing the use of non-human vertebrate animals in this document is recommended.
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