Alternatives and the Animal Welfare Act

Acknowledgement:  This page is copied, without permission, from a pocket brochure distributed by AWIC.  I assume AWIC wants this information disseminated and there is some information I don't see on their web site.   So here it is.  LAS
"...the farm bill contains legislation dealing with the humane treatment of animals. The main thrust of the bill is to minimize pain and distress suffered by animals used for experiments and tests. In so doing, biomedical research will gain in accuracy and humanity. We owe much to laboratory animals and that debt can best be repaid by good treatment and keeping painful experiments to a minimum."

Senator R. Dole, Congressional Record House, December 17,1985

 

Information Requirements of the Animal Welfare Act

Auth 9 CFR 2.31(d)

"[The] IACUC shall determine that…

(ii) The principal investigator has considered alternatives to procedures that may cause more than momentary or slight pain or distress to the animals, and has provided a written narrative description of the methods and sources, e.g., the Animal Welfare Information Center, used to determine that alternatives were not available;
 
(iii) The principal investigator has provided written assurance that the activities do not unnecessarily duplicate previous experiments;"

USDA Regulatory Intent

Final Rules and Regulations
Federal Register Vol.54, No.168
Thursday, August 31, 1989

"The principal investigator must provide a written narrative of the sources, such as Biological Abstracts, Index Medicus, the Current Research Information Center that is operated by the National Agricultural Library. We believe that in fulfilling this requirement Committee members will discuss these efforts with the principal investigator in reviewing the proposed activity. We also believe that considerations of alternatives will be discussed during Committee meetings where proposed activities are presented for approval, and made part of the meeting minutes..."

3 Rs of Alternatives

Reduction number of animals used
Refinement techinques and procedures to reduce pain and distress
Replacement of animal with non-animal techniques or lower organisms

Russell, W.M S. and R. L. Burch (1959,1992).
The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique
Universities Federation for Animal Welfare: England, 238p

Databases for Searching for Alternatives

Available on Dialog

· AGRICOLA - file 10 ·  AGRIS - file 10
· MEDLINE - file 154
  • INT'L PHARMACEUTICALABSTRACTS - file 74
· EMBASE file 72 · NTIS - file 6
· BIOSIS - file 55 · INSPEC - file 2
· LIFESCIENCES - file 76. COMPENDEX PLUS - file 8
· ZOOLOGICAL RECORD - file 185 MICROCOMPUTER INDEX- file 233
  · A-V ONLINE file - 46
· ASFA - file 44 · PASCAL - file 144
· PSYCHINFO- file 11 · CANCERLIT - file 159
· SCISEARCH - file 34 · RTECS - file 336
· TOXLINE - file 156 · CAB - file 50

 

Selected Alternatives Keywords

  • alternative(s)
  • amphibian? reptile?
  • analges? sedative, anxiolytic
  • anesthe? anasthe? anaesthe?
  • animal model(s)
  • animal testing alternative(s)
  • artificial
  • assay? technique? method?
  • bacteria, protozoa
  • behav? enrich?
  • cadaver?
  • computer(s)
  • culture (cell, tissue, organ)
  • digital image?
  • environ? enrich?
  • euthanas?
  • fish? cephalopod?
  • handl? (handling)
  • housing, facilit?, caging
  • interactive
  • invertebrate?
  • isolated (cell, tissue, organ)
  • mannequin? (manikin)
  • mathematical model(s)
  • model?
  • plastinat?
  • simulat? (simulation(s))
  • simulator(s)
  • single-celled organism?
  • software
  • train?, educat?, teach9
  • video? (disc, display)
  • virtual (surgery, reality)
  • vitro (method, model, technique)
  • welfare, pain, stress, distress
    •

    Note refinement alternatives are found using terms relevant to the area of study

     

    AWIC Tips for Searching for Alternatives

  • · General area of study
  • · Species being used
  • · Describe protocol
  • · Organ systems involved
  • · Acronyms
  • · Names of hormones, enzymes, CAS#, trade names, etc.
  • · Prominent authors in field including work
    •

    Animal Welfare Information Center
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Agricultural Research Service
    National Agricultural Library
    10301 Baltimore Avenue
    Beltsville, MD 20705
    Phone: (301) 504-6212
    Fax: (301) 504-7125
    e-mail: awic@nal.usda.gov
    http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic