Which organization provides the primary veterinary oversight for approved research protocols?

• A. The NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare
• B. The IACUC-attending veterinarian
• C. The Institutional Review Board
• D. The USDA Animal Welfare Division

Answer: (B)

Daily veterinary oversight of approved research protocols is provided by the IACUC-attending veterinarian—the designated veterinarian within the institution responsible for supervising animal care and welfare and carrying out the veterinary aspects of the approved studies. This role operates within the IACUC framework, which reviews and approves protocols and monitors overall compliance, but the actual medical leadership for the animals comes from the attending veterinarian. Other bodies have different responsibilities: the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare oversees institutional compliance for PHS-funded research at a program level, the Institutional Review Board protects human subjects, and USDA enforcement under the Animal Welfare Act handles broader regulatory compliance. The attending veterinarian is the one charged with the day-to-day veterinary oversight for approved protocols.