Problem statement: Sponsor companies are affected by the level of animal welfare compliance present at the third party organizations who conduct animal research or testing on their behalf, vendors who provide animals for research or testing, and transportation companies who move animals used in research and testing. Implementation of an animal welfare compliance monitoring program for third parties will allow sponsor companies to assess third parties that they plan to engage to conduct work on their behalf. This assessment will help to identify potential animal welfare issues that the sponsor company could encounter with a selected third party.
Description of research: This poster will discuss the development and implementation of an animal welfare quality monitoring program of third parties. Topics covered will include the drivers behind the monitoring program, assessment of risk at third parties, and animal welfare audits of third parties. Procedures, tools, and documentation used to support the monitoring program will be discussed. Outcomes resulting from implementation of an animal welfare quality monitoring program will also be shared.
Additional information: Animal Welfare is not only essential for the quality of the lives of the laboratory animals we use for our research, but also for the quality of our medicines we produce for our human and animal patients throughout the world. The topic of animal welfare has reached the forefront of public perception due to increased scrutiny of using animals for research. Sponsor companies often times engage the use of third parties (for research, testing, transportation, or supplying animals). It is imperative to assess the level of animal welfare compliance at these third parties to ensure that the work they do fulfills sponsor expectations and legal requirements. Often, IACUCs (or other ethical committees) are involved with assessing these third parties.