March 2001 News

Pain and Distress Reference List Available Online

March 22, 2001

The Animal Welfare Act requires researchers to minimize pain and distress in laboratory animals whenever possible. First, however, they need to be able to recognize when an animal is -- or is likely to be -- in pain or distress. Then they need to know the best measures to take to alleviate it.

The Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC) has compiled "A Reference Source for the Recognition & Alleviation of Pain & Distress in Animals" to help researchers find the information they need to do both of these things. This important resource now is available online at this page.

The reference source includes sections devoted to particular types of animals, such as dogs and cats, mice, rats, monkeys and apes, and domestic farm animals, as well as a section of general references on pain and distress in animals and a section on post-operative pain.

This list is intended as a starting point for those concerned about the welfare and humane care of animals used in research. For additional information and resources on the subject, go to the "Literature on the Assessment of Animal Welfare" database at this page.

AWIC, part of the USDA National Agricultural Library, provides a wide range of information for improving animal care and use in research, teaching, and testing. To access these resources, go here.