The 1996 Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals

Abstract

The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide) was first published in 1963 under the title Guide for Laboratory Animal Facilities and Care and was revised in 1965, 1968, 1972, 1978, and 1985. More than 400,000 copies have been distributed since it was first published, and it is widely accepted as a primary reference on animal care and use. In 1991, an ad hoc committee appointed by the Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources (ILAR) recommended that the Guide be revised. The Committee to Revise the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Committee) (see roster p 47) was appointed in 1993 by the National Research Council; its 15 members included research scientists, veterinarians, and nonscientists representing bioethics and the public's interest in animal welfare. The purpose of the Guide, as expressed in the charge to the Committee to Revise the Guide, is to assist institutions in caring for and using animals in ways judged to be scientifically, technically, and humanely appropriate. The Guide is also intended to assist investigators in fulfilling their obligation to plan and conduct animal experiments in accord with the highest scientific, humane, and ethical principles. The recommendations are based on published data, scientific principles, expert opinion, and experience with methods and practices that have proved to be consistent with high-quality, humane animal care and use. The introduction to the first Guide stated that ‘If the Guide is to serve usefully, it must be a living document, subject to change with changing conditions and new information.” This philosophy has been supported and implemented in subsequent Guides . The Guide is written for a diverse group of national and international institutions and organizations, and its guidelines are applied to many species of animals in varied settings, types of institutions, and uses (for example, facilities can range from a Biosafety Level 4 containment facility to a farm pasture). Guidelines and standards for a specific animal species, in a specific setting, in a specific institution, and for a specific use may be relatively easy to write. However, such narrowly focused guidelines or standards may be inappropriate, harmful, ineffective, or counterproductive when applied to other species or situations. Because guidelines for animal care and use with broad applicability are needed, the Guide often makes general recommendations, the details of which must be addressed locally with specific standard operating procedures, decisions by animal care personnel and users, and institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) approvals. The Introduction and Chapter I of the Guide emphasize the important role of the IACUC in implementing the guidelines and identifies its authority, responsibility, and discretion in this role. The ’85 Guide ( NRC 1985 ) has been a good and useful document and did not need to be completely rewritten. The Committee's goals were to (1) update the document to make the ’96 Guide current in compliance areas, state-of-the-art techniques and equipment, and science; and (2) use performance standards rather than engineering standards whenever appropriate. Since 1961, the process of developing the Guide has been independent of governmental influence. There has been a concerted effort, first by the Animal Care Panel and later by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), to appoint unbiased, objective, balanced, expert committees. Each committee has been charged with the task of formulating appropriate guidelines, taking into consideration such critical factors as species of animals, research uses of animals, settings in which animals are used, necessary resources, and ethical considerations. This process has been very effective and has served the scientific community and animals used in research well. Much of the information in earlier guidelines was based on experience, professional judgment, and arbitrary decisions rather than objective peer-reviewed data. To some extent this is still true. After the first Guide, each revised edition has been based on preceding versions and expanded and updated as appropriate based on factors improving research quality and animal well-being. Some aspects of recent Guides have changed very little from earlier editions. Previous Guides were excellent documents for their times, have served us well, and are tributes to the leadership and vision of early writers. The care and use of animals evoke strong emotions and opinions. It is unrealistic to expect that everyone will agree with every aspect of the Guide . No person or committee could write a document that is universally acceptable. Committees are used so that different ideas and approaches can be presented, discussed, and resolved. The Guide is a consensus document resulting from the discussions and decisions of a committee composed of individuals with differing ideas, perspectives, and approaches. The ’96 Guide Committee did no