The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals is best described as which of the following?

• A. A binding federal regulation.
• B. A voluntary accreditation program.
• C. A standard-setting document used to establish welfare guidelines.
• D. A veterinary pharmacology handbook.

Answer: (C)

At its heart, the Guide is a standard-setting document that outlines welfare guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals. It provides practical, evidence-based recommendations on housing, husbandry, veterinary care, and experimental practices that institutions use to design their animal care programs and to review and approve research protocols. It is not a binding federal regulation by itself; rather, it informs and supports compliance with laws like the Animal Welfare Act and the Public Health Service Policy, and it is often used as the benchmark for institutional and grant requirements. It is also not an accreditation program on its own, though accreditation bodies such as AAALAC International evaluate facilities for conformity with its standards as part of their review. It is not a pharmacology handbook, which would describe drug actions and uses rather than animal care and welfare.