Animal Use Oversight
In Canada, two separate pieces of federal legislation relate to general animal welfare. First, the Criminal
Code of Canada (Sections 446 and 447) is in place to protect animals from cruelty, abuse and neglect. Second,
the Health of Animals Act (1990) aims to protect Canadian livestock from a variety of infectious diseases that
would threaten both the health of the animals and people, as well as the international trade of Canadian
livestock. The federal government does not legislate with respect to scientific use of animals; however, it
requires that all facilities and institutions receiving federal funding for animal science purposes must
adhere to the standards set by the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC), and so indirectly imposes governance
of scientific animal use. In addition, some provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario,
Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan) have enacted legislation that requires varying degrees of compliance with
CCAC standards.
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A peer-review process governs animal use in science in Canada. The CCAC is the quasi-regulatory agency responsible
for setting and maintaining standards for the care and use of animals and monitoring compliance. Established in 1968,
its mission statement underlines the focus of the CCAC on the ethical principles of animal-based experimentation:
The purpose of the Canadian Council on Animal Care is to act in the interests of the people of Canada to ensure
through programs of education, assessment and persuasion that the use of animals, where necessary, for research,
teaching and testing employs optimal physical and psychological care according to acceptable scientific standards,
and to promote an increased level of knowledge, awareness and sensitivity to relevant ethical principles.
The CCAC consists of representatives from national organizations with an interest in the care and use of animals in
research, teaching and testing. These include:
- national organisations representing animal welfare and animal care;
- federal granting Agencies;
- federal government departments/agencies using animals or supporting animal-based research;
- national voluntary health organizations;
- institutionally-based national academic associations;
- national scientific and academic associations; and
- national organisations representing pharmaceutical companies
As stated, institutions receiving grants or contracts from the federal government must comply with CCAC guidelines and
policies; however, involvement and compliance with the CCAC is voluntary for institutions not receiving funding. A
large number of private scientific companies using animals hold a CCAC Certificate of GAP-Good Animal Practice® as
evidence of compliance with CCAC guidelines and policies because it is good public accountability and because in doing so,
they receive help from the CCAC in implementing their animal use programs.
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Animal Care Committees
CCAC oversight of scientific animal use in Canada relies heavily on the appropriate functioning of an animal care
committee (ACC) at each member institution. ACCs oversee all matters relating to the care and welfare of animals
used in science. They are composed of both animal users and non-animal users from the institution, at least one
veterinarian, animal care technicians, at least one student at teaching institutions, and at least one community
(non-institutional) member. ACC members are responsible for assessing all protocols using animals at the
institution and ensuring the following:
- animals are used only with ACC approval;
- proposed research is peer-reviewed for scientific merit;
- proposed teaching protocols are reviewed for pedagogical merit;
- testing protocols minimize animal use while remaining acceptable to regulatory agencies;
- proposed procedures comply with CCAC guidelines; and
- husbandry and care of animals are appropriate.
For more information on scientific animal use oversight in Canada the following resources may be useful:
For more information on scientific animal use oversight in other countries the following resources may be useful:
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