Animal Care, Animal Use, Animal Enrichment
From the AAALAC website: www.aaalac.org : What is AAALAC?
AAALAC International is a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science.
For some, animal research is a controversial topic. But like others in the animal welfare arena, AAALAC endorses the use of animals to advance medicine and science when there are no non-animal alternatives, and when it is done in an ethical and humane way.
When animals are used, AAALAC works with institutions and researchers to serve as a bridge between progress and animal well-being.
Benefits of accreditation by AAALAC International
– Internationally recognized as a symbol of quality in science.
– Facilitates collaboration with other institutions that demand the same standards of animal welfare and scientific quality.
– Facilitates financing of some entities (eg: NIH).
– Harmonizes criteria in the international arena.
– Initial self-assessment process, challenging old and outdated procedures.
– Continuous improvement, thanks to periodic evaluations, every 3 years.
– Promotes teamwork between the different groups of the institution involved in the process.
– Serves as claims for the recruitment of high-level personnel.
– Demonstrates responsibility to society regarding the care of animals.
– Recognizes the work of some basic jobs in the vivarium (caregivers, etc).
Also see Bioterio:
https://www.bioterios.com/index.php/FAQs/Que_es_un_Bioterio_.htm
Link to the Guide for Laboratory Animal Care and Use in 10+ languages is HERE BTW-FYI: Download as guest works well. Or it is embedded below.
