Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: Eighth Edition.
The purpose of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide), as expressed in the charge to the Committee for the Update of the Guide, is to assist institutions in caring for and using animals in ways judged to be scientifically, technically, and humanely appropriate. The Guide is also intended to assist investigators in fulfilling their obligation to plan and conduct animal experiments in accord with the highest scientific, humane, and ethical principles. Recommendations in the Guide are based on published data, scientific principles, expert opinion, and experience with methods and practices that have proved to be consistent with both high-quality research and humane animal care and use. These recommendations should be used as a foundation for the development of a comprehensive animal care and use program, recognizing that the concept and application of performance standards, in accordance with goals, outcomes, and considerations defined in the Guide, is essential to this process. The Guide is an internationally accepted primary reference on animal care and use, and its use is required in the United States by the Public Health Service Policy. It was first published in 1963, under the title Guide for Laboratory Animal Facilities and Care, and was revised in 1965, 1968, 1972, 1978, 1985, and 1996. More than 550,000 copies have been printed since its first publication.
National Research Council, 2011. Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: Eighth Edition. National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
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