Scholars discuss whether the Animal Welfare Act achieves its aim of protecting animal research subjects.

Biomedical and behavioral researchers use animals as research subjects to improve human health. For example, physicians used cats and dogs to develop the medical technology that would eventually make open heart surgery possible. Today, scientists developing coronavirus vaccines first tested on animals before moving to human subjects.

In the United States, the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) is the primary regulatory instrument to protect animal research subjects. The AWA protects warm-blooded animals used in research, commercial sale, public exhibition, or commercial transport. The law contains standards for the treatment of animals in research and requires institutional oversight of all animal subjects research. The U.S. Department of Agriculture enforces the AWA through routine inspections of research facilities.

Scholars differ on whether the AWA does enough to protect animal welfare. Some organizations oppose using any form of animal research, but others maintain that animal research is necessary for the continued improvement of medical techniques and treatments.

This weeks Saturday Seminar focuses on the AWA and protections for the use of animals as test subjects in scientific research.

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Regulation of Animal Subjects Research - The Regulatory Review