UAA Animal Welfare Assurance

You can download the University's Assurance of Compliance with Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. This document was reviewed and approved by the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) through January 31, 2028.

Federal Regulations

Animal Welfare Act
Links to the Animal Welfare Act, various amendments and related documents as well as the Animal Welfare Regulations. Oversight is by Animal Care, USDA. The regulations will never qualify as exciting reading, but this is the primary document that addresses use of animals in research. For the purposes of these regulations, the following definition of an animal applies (see the regs):

Animal means any live or dead dog, cat, nonhuman primate, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, or any other warmblooded animal, which is being used, or is intended for use for research, teaching, testing, experimentation, or exhibition purposes, or as a pet. This term excludes: Birds, rats of the genus Rattus and mice of the genus Mus bred for use in research, and horses not used for research purposes and other farm animals, such as, but not limited to livestock or poultry, used or intended for use as food or fiber, or livestock or poultry used or intended for use for improving animal nutrition, breeding, management, or production efficiency, or for improving the quality of food or fiber.

With respect to a dog, the term means all dogs, including those used for hunting, security, or breeding purposes. In addition to research facilities these regulations also apply to exhibitors, transport of animals, and dealers. Regulatory agency is the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Title 9 Code of Federal Regulations.

Health Research Extension Act of 1985 (Public Law 99-158)
This Act instructed the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of NIH, to establish guidelines for the proper care of animals to be used in biomedical and behavioral research.

OLAW - PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals

This policy provides basis for all regulations and guidance for animal research under the oversight of the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare.

Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, 8th ed.
The 8th edition of The Guide was crafted by a committee of experts after considering input from laboratory animal communities and the public at large. The Guide provides basic information on housing, care, physical plant, and veterinary care for laboratory animals. The Guide is one of the major resources for animal care and applies to conventional lab animals as well as the captive wildlife commonly held at UAA.

Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Research and Teaching, 4th edition
The 4th edition of The Ag Guide builds upon and replaces previous versions published in 1988, 1999, and 2010. The Ag Guide provides information on animal health, husbandry, housing, biosecurity, enrichment, handling and transport of agricultural animals when used in research and teaching applications.

AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals: 2020 Edition
These are the most recent guidelines governing humane euthanasia. It is extremely important to review this document if euthanasia is a component of your research. Those of you working with wildlife should also consult this Report. There is a section on Euthanasia of Zoologic and Free-Ranging Nondomestic Animals.