Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals - Office of ...

PrefaceThe purpose of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals(the Guide), as expressed in the charge to the Committee for theUpdate of the Guide, is to assist institutions in caring for and usinganimals in ways judged to be scientifically, technically, and humanelyappropriate. The Guide is also intended to assist investigators in fulfillingtheir obligation to plan and conduct animal experiments in accord with thehighest scientific, humane, and ethical principles. Recommendations in theGuide are based on published data, scientific principles, expert opinion,and experience with methods and practices that have proved to be consistentwith both high-quality research and humane animal care and use.These recommendations should be used as a foundation for the developmentof a comprehensive animal care and use program, recognizing thatthe concept and application of performance standards, in accordance withgoals, outcomes, and considerations defined in the Guide, is essential tothis process.The Guide is an internationally accepted primary reference on animalcare and use, and its use is required in the United States by the PublicHealth Service Policy. It was first published in 1963, under the title Guidefor Laboratory Animal Facilities and Care, and was revised in 1965, 1968,1972, 1978, 1985, and 1996. More than 550,000 copies have been printedsince its first publication.In 2006 an ad hoc committee appointed by the Institute for LaboratoryAnimal Research recommended that the Guide be updated. The Committeefor the Update of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animalswas appointed in 2008 by the National Research Council; its 13 membersxiii