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

appendixCStatement of TaskThe use of laboratory animals for biomedical research, testing andeducation is guided by the principles of the Three Rs, replacementof animals where acceptable non-animal models exist, reduction inthe number of animals to the fewest needed to obtain statistically significantdata, and refinement of animal care and use to minimize pain anddistress and to enhance animal well-being. The Guide for the Care andUse of Laboratory Animals has been a critical international publication thatprovides information to scientists, veterinarians and animal care personnelwhen the decision has been made that animal use is necessary. A committeewill update the 1996 version of the Guide for the Care and Use of LaboratoryAnimals (the Guide) to reflect new scientific information related to theissues already covered in the Guide, and to add discussion and guidanceon new topics of laboratory animal care and use related to contemporaryanimal research programs.The committee will review the scientific literature published since therelease of the 1996 Guide and determine whether the information in theGuide concurs with current scientific evidence. The committee will alsoreview the literature on new technologies related to laboratory animal careand use and determine where new guidance is necessary to ensure thebest scientific outcomes and optimal animal welfare. The committee willalso take into consideration all materials and discussions provided to it,including those submitted to NIH in response to the Request for InformationNOT-OD-O6-011 that requested information related to the need toupdate the Guide. Where scientifically warranted, the guidance and recommendationsof the 1996 Guide will be changed to reflect new scientific201