ABSTRACT
The need to provide regulatory oversight to assure animal welfare in the research laboratory was recognized in Victorian England over 120 years ago and led to the 1876 Cruelty to Animals Act. Modications of this law that exist today include “Home Ofce” oversight and registration of individuals who conduct research procedures using animals. In the U.S., the earliest national law addressing animal welfare was the 28-hour law, enacted in 1887. This law primarily governs animals being transported for market and does not specically address animals in the research laboratory.
