ABSTRACT
External peer review as a means for ensuring and advancing the welfare of animals used in scientific activities in research, teaching, testing, and production, and concomitantly the quality of science conducted with animals, has been in existence for more than 50 years and is now widely accepted globally. During the expansion in biomedical research in the years following World War II, scientific research involving animals evolved quickly. Care of research animals was typically the exclusive domain and responsibility of individual researchers. The phenomenal research growth period of the 1950s and 1960s also witnessed a growing public concern over the use of animals in Canadian science. Some programs involved in research animal care and use, particularly those involving animal production and/or commercial product development using animals. Organizations contemplating application for accreditation should thoroughly familiarize themselves with the rules. Both AAALAC International accreditation and Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) certification claim comparable and significant benefits.
