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3 Info. Rep.: Animal Welfare Inst. 1 (1954)

handle is hein.animal/awiqu0003 and id is 1 raw text is: rT ANIMIAL WELFARE INSTITUTE 350 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK I, N.Y. January- February, 1954 Vol. 3 No. I The American Physiological Society has recently prepared and issued to each of its 1380 members Guiding Principles in the Care and Use of Animals, reprinted below. The Animal Welfare Institute offers its sincere congratulations to the Society on taking this important step towards solving the ethical and prac- tical problems involved in animal experimentation. A letter expressing the hope of the Institute that these principles might be supplemented in the course of continuing efforts by the Physiological Society to promote the welfare and prevent the suffering of experimental animals received a kind reply from the President-elect of the Society, Dr. Hiram Essex. Dr. Essex reported a positive interest in the humane treatment of animals on the part of members of the Society and stated: The principles as they stand are the result of a great deal of effort. It was difficult to keep them from becoming a set of specific regulations and not guiding principles. We conceived of their purpose being like the United States Constitution, broad, with details being supplied by some other means. GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN THE CARE AND USE OF ANIMALS (Approved by the Council of the American Physiological Society) Only animals that are lawfully acquired shall be used in this laboratory, and their retention and use shall be in every case in strict compliance with state and local laws and regulations. Animals in the laboratory must receive every consideration for their bodily comfort; they must be kindly treated, properly fed, and their surroundings kept in a sanitary condition. All major operative procedures must be done under a general anesthetic; minor operative procedures may be done under local infiltration anesthesia. If the nature of the study is such as to require that the ani- mal survive, -acceptable technic must be followed throughout the operation on dogs and cats. If the study does not require survival, the animal must be killed in a humane manner at the conclusion of the observa- tions. The postoperative care of experimental animals shall be such as to minimize discomfort during conval- escence. All conditions must be maintained for the animal's comfort in accordance with the best practices in small animal hospitals or in accordance with the practices followed in human medicine and surgery. When animals are used by students for their education or the advancement of science such work shall be under the direct supervision of an experienced teacher or investigator. The rules for the care of such ani- mals must be the same as for animals used for research. LABORATORY ANIMALS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. In 1949, a Senate hearing was held on S.1703, a measure which would have compelled the surrender of dogs from the District of Columbia pound for experimentation, without providing effective humane guar- antees of the manner in which they might be used and cared for. A considerable body of testimony was sub- mitted at that time by proponents and opponents of the measure. While S. 1703 was under consideration, Senator Arthur Vandenberg, who was firmly opposed to it, wrote a constituent, I do not believe that Congress will ever pass a measure such as this. (Underlining his) He was correct insofar as S. 1703 was concerned. However, since that time, legislation has been passed giving the Conimissioners of the District of Columbia wider powers than they possessed in 1949, and a few months ago, they proposed an order embodying the same features as those contained in the aforemen- tioned Senate bill. Public hearings were held on the Commissioners' proposed order on December 4, 1953 and January 25, 1954 in Washington, D.C., and supporters and opponents of the measure from various parts of the country added their testimony to that of local speakers. Representatives of the AWI attended the January 25th hear- ing, and the text of the statement presented by the president is printed below. In addition, the Institute sub- mitted several pages of specific comment and suggestions to the Commissioners, which included standards for animal care and housing, requirements for the licensing of institutions and individuals and an analysis of the order as proposed.

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