ALTEX :: Alternatives to Animal Experiments

1999, VOLUME 3

The Animal Welfare Information Center -- A Brief Overview

Jean Larson

USDA, Beltsville, MD (USA)

SUMMARY

The Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC) of USDA's National Agricultural Library was established by a mandate of the U.S. Congress in the 1985 Amendments of the Animal Welfare Act. The Act regulates how warm-blooded animals are treated as they are in biomedical research, for toxicity testing, as specimens in higher education, or exhibited in circuses, zoos and aquaria. Large volume dog dealers also come under the Act.

In the 1985 Amendments, the U.S. Congress instructs the Center to provide information on topics such as: alternatives to painful procedures, anesthetics, analgesics, tranquilizers, improved methodologies, training materials for those who use animals, environmental enrichment for primates, and exercise for dogs. This overwiew of the AWIC program discusses the historical aspects of the Center, and will illustrate how the U.S. Congressional mandate is currently carried out via the Center's national and international activities, services, publications, and outreach to U.S. regulated community. Some data regarding the use of the Center's products and services is presented.

Keywords: 3R, animal welfare information center, national agricultural library, information services, publications, electronic resources, user statistics