Animal Care and Use Webquest
Introduction
Virtually every major medical advance of the last century has depended upon research with
animals. Data from experiments on humans are obviously the most scientifically reliable;
however, in many cases human research is ethically unacceptable. Researchers must first use
animals, the living systems most closely related to humans, before humans are asked to
participate in experimentation. Animals serve as surrogates in the investigation of human
diseases and new ways to treat, cure or prevent them. The scientific community recognizes its
professional obligation to safeguard and improve the welfare of laboratory animals. This module
outlines the regulation and implementation of guidelines that must be followed when laboratory
animals are used.
Assignment
1) The Animal Welfare Act was enacted in 1966 and has been amended by Congress four times.
The Act regulates humane treatment of animals at all research facilities-public or private,
academic or industry-based, whether or not they receive federal funds. All covered research
facilities must register with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and comply with USDA animal
welfare regulations and standards. The Animal Welfare Act is designated for guinea pigs,
hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, dogs, cats, nonhuman primates, marine mammals, farm animal
species, excluding rats, mice and birds.
 Go to http://www.nabranimallaw.org/ and identify the act passed by Congress which
created a federal mandate governing the use of animals including rats and mice.

Go to http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/phspol.htm and determine the NIH
office responsible for the administration and coordination outlined in the Public Health
Service Policy.
2) Animal Welfare Regulations require that all federally funded research facilities using animals
establish an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) to oversee animal use and
assure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. A primary responsibility of the IACUC
is to review and approve all proposed activities involving the care and use of animals used in
research, testing or teaching procedures, as well as review and approve all significant changes to
ongoing activities. The IACUC monitors the animal care and use program by conducting
thorough reviews and inspections of the animal facilities every six months. The IACUC submits
documentation of its program evaluation and facility inspections to the Office of Laboratory
Animal Welfare.
 Go to http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/tutorial/iacuc.htm and identify the required
members of every IACUC committee.

Go to http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/tutorial/animal.htm and determine who appoints
the members of an IACUC committee at each institution.
3) The scientific community founded a number of organizations to improve laboratory animal
care. The American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) is one of the most
prominent organizations and offers a variety of resources for the education and advancement of
responsible laboratory animal care and use.
 Go to https://www.aalaslearninglibrary.org and browse the resources available for
professionals involved in animal research. You are going to complete an AALAS tutorial
and answer questions based on the information in the tutorial. To log in to the tutorial:
 Click on Animal Care and Use Courses
 Click on Free Courses
 Click on Working with the IACUC
 Click on Working with the IACUC: non-VA version
 Click on Course
 Click on Continue Without Logging In
 Browse the 25 slides and answer the following questions:
1. Describe the basic function of an IACUC.
2. What is the central theme in selecting an animal model for research?
3. What are the important points in justifying the number of animals needed
for a research project?
4. Animal Welfare Regulations require that investigators proposing
research or testing on animals that may cause more than slight or
momentary pain or distress to consider alternatives to such procedures.
Identify the “three R’s” of animal research.
5. Investigators must also provide a written narrative describing the
methods and sources used to determine that alternatives are not
available. List the databases available for searching for alternatives.
6. Describe the four pain/distress categories mandated by the USDA.
7. Investigators wishing to perform surgery on research animals must
satisfy a number of requirements prior to IACUC approval. List three
topics that must be addressed in a surgery protocol.
8. Define major surgery.
9. List the justifications for multiple survival surgeries.
10. In accordance with the Occupation Health and Safety guidelines, the
principal investigator of a research project is responsible for providing
training for staff that work with the animals. List the four areas of training
required.
11. Describe the difference between physical and non-physical methods of
euthanasia.
12. If you observe misuse or mistreatment of animals, or you see procedures
that you don’t think comply with federal regulations or guidelines, you
should immediately report the violations to the IACUC at your facility. If
you are not satisfied with the actions taken by your local IACUC, list two
federal agencies you should contact.
13. Why is animal research necessary?
4) In 1955 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published the first federal laboratory animal
guidelines, now entitled the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The Guide
describes institutional responsibilities and professional standards to ensure animals are cared for
in ways that are scientifically, technically, and humanely appropriate.
 Go to http://www.aaalac.org/resources/theguide.cfm and browse through the full text
copy of the Guide. Chapter 2 describes animal environment, housing and management.
List the general recommendations for a 10 g mouse for each of the following factors:
1. space
2. temperature
3. humidity
4. ventilation
5. illumination
6. noise
7. activity
8. food
9. water
10. bedding
11. sanitation
5) IACUC approval to use animals in research requires submission of an animal use protocol.
The protocol application requires a great deal of information and must be approved before an
investigator may acquire, house or use animals in any way.
 Go to http://www.austincc.edu/awheeler/introtobiotech.php and download and save a
copy of a modified animal use protocol on your hard drive.

Go to http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/95s0316/95s-0316-rpt0235-30-Tab-0501-vol167.pdf and look over a copy of an animal use protocol submitted for approval in a
study of gastrointestinal transit in mice. Use the information from this study to fill out the
animal use protocol you saved to your hard drive. Print and turn in this completed
document.
6) Biomedical research involving lab animals has played a vital role in virtually every major
medical advance in the last century. Practically every present day protocol for the prevention,
control and cure of disease, and relief of pain, is based on knowledge attained – directly or
indirectly – through research with animals. Physicians and scientists overwhelmingly agree that
animal systems provide invaluable and irreplaceable insights into human systems because there
are striking similarities between the genetic and physiological systems of humans and animals.
 Go to http://www.nabranimallaw.org/ and browse through the four species sheets to see
some of the medical advances that have occurred due to research with animal models.

Choose an animal model (other than mice or rats) from the species sheets and design an
experiment using this animal model. Fill out another animal use protocol to submit for
approval for your research design. Print and turn in this completed document.