ABSTRACT

While evaluating new products in pets with spontaneously occurring disease can play a role, the process of developing procedures, diagnostics, and therapies is almost always achieved in some part by using laboratory or purpose-bred research animals. Many aspects of product development or examination of a disease process require a whole animal system. Legislation protecting animals used in research was first enacted in Britain in 1876, and Europe has long been at the forefront of establishing and revising minimal standards of laboratory animal care. Regulations governing the use of animals in research in Asia and Oceania vary greatly depending on the country. Regulations involving laboratory animals in countries in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East are developing but overall are lacking compared to those in Europe and North America. Research developments over the past few decades have provided additional advantages for using laboratory animals for studies.