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 Because
research with animals is vital to saving lives and improving
the future health of animals and humans alike, the Southwest
Foundation for Biomedical Research is committed to a research
program that works with animals in a humane and appropriate
manner. SFBR has a long and distinguished history of providing
exemplary care for its animals, going above and beyond established
guidelines in this area. In fact, in the most recent site
visit by an international accrediting organization, SFBR's
veterinary program was commended for its high standards in
animal care and for the outstanding good health and wellbeing
of the Foundation's animal colony.
Dedicated Veterinary Staff
Seven full-time veterinarians, assisted by more than 130 other
veterinary technicians and animal care staff at SFBR's Southwest
National Primate Research Center, provide for the humane care
and treatment of SFBR's primates. The Primate Center also ensures
that the institution complies with all federal regulations
and national guidelines that apply to the care and use of animals
in research.
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| SFBR's veterinary program
maintains high standards in animal care. |
The care of animals at SFBR is guided by two principles: first,
that animals deserve high-quality care and state-of-the-art
preventive medicine; and second, that high-quality scientific
data can be derived only from animals that are treated humanely
and provided with proper care.
Both physical and emotional stress negatively
affect the quality of normative scientific data derived from
the animals. Thus, humane animal care and good science go
hand in hand.
Ensuring the psychological wellbeing of
the nonhuman primates at SFBR is an animal management priority.
To address this need, the Foundation has an active environmental
enrichment program managed by a team of dedicated animal behavior
specialists and caretakers.
Most of the primates at SFBR are housed
in social groups with access to indoor and outdoor living
areas.
SFBR has excellent accredited facilities
and equipment, including fully equipped treatment rooms, surgical
suites, radiology facilities, ultrasound facilities, and clinical
pathology and histopathology laboratories.
Registered with the USDA
The
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service(APHIS) conducts unannounced
inspections of the SFBR animal facilities at least once per
year.
The USDA enforces the Animal Welfare Act,
the main federal law that mandates standards and guidelines
for the care and use of animals in all research facilities.
SFBR operates under this law's standards and guidelines specific
to nonhuman primates.
Under the
Animal Welfare Act, the USDA issues and enforces regulations
regarding humane care, handling, treatment and transportation
of nonhuman primates in addition to general husbandry standards
related to housing, separation of species, cleanliness, feeding,
quarantine procedures, and veterinary care. The law also contains
provisions for the use of anesthesia or pain-killing drugs
for potentially painful procedures and for the post-operative
care of laboratory animals.
Adherence to Federal Policies
The Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research receives
70 percent of its research funding from the National Institutes
of Health and other funding agencies through competitive grants
and contracts. All institutions that receive NIH support are
required to file an Animal Welfare Assurance Statement with
the Office
for Human Research Protections (OHRP) of the NIH. SFBR
is in compliance with the “Public
Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory
Animals.”
Accredited by AAALAC, International
SFBR has been accredited since 1973 by the Association
for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal
Care, International (AAALAC). This organization conducts
a site visit every three years to ensure that the highest
standards of animal care are maintained.
The NIH recognizes AAALAC accreditation as a means of achieving
and maintaining stringent standards for all aspects of the
care and use of research animals.
Adherence to National Academy of Science Guidelines
The Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research maintains
strict adherence to the guidelines provided in the “Guide
for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals,” which
is prepared by the National Research Council of the National
Academy of Sciences through the Institute
for Laboratory Animal Research.
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
Federal law requires that every facility conducting research
on animals have an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
This internal committee, which includes SFBR scientists and
veterinarians as well as an outside member of the community,
must approve each protocol before an experiment is initiated.
It also must inspect the animal facilities twice a year. The
committee requires justification of the choice of animal to
be used, the numbers of animals to be used, and the proposed
treatment of the animals.
The IACUC has the authority to prevent a research program
from being initiated or to stop a research program if the
committee determines that an investigator is not complying
with the regulations or guidelines for the care and use of
animals.
Chimpanzee Advisory Committee
Chimpanzees are valuable animal models for many areas of research,
particularly for research on vaccines and drugs to prevent
or treat viral diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis. Because
chimpanzees are long-lived animals that are expensive to maintain,
the management of the chimpanzee colony requires special oversight.
SFBR's internal chimpanzee advisory committee monitors the
use of the Foundation's chimpanzee colony, predicts future
needs, and provides advice to maximize the long-term viability
and research use of the colony.
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