Company: CRL
Filing Date: 2025-02-19
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001100682-25-000011
Chunk: 29

Company: CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Filing Date: 2025-02-19
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 29
---
 environments and in a variety of locations worldwide, we are subject to numerous, and sometimes overlapping, regulatory requirements.

The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) governs the care and use of animals used for research in the U.S. other than laboratory rats, mice and fish bred for use in research. As a result, most of our U.S. small animal research model operations are not subject to regulation under the AWA. For regulated species, the AWA requires producers and those working with regulated species to provide veterinary care and to follow specific husbandry practices such as cage size, shipping conditions, sanitation and 

14

CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.

environmental enrichment to ensure the welfare of these animals. Separately, facilities using live vertebrate animals in research funded by the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) must also adhere to the PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and follow “The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals” approved by the Board of the National Research Council.

We comply with licensing and registration requirement standards set by the USDA and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and similar applicable agencies in other global regions such as Canada, Europe and China for the care, handling and oversight of regulated species. Our DSA and RMS facilities that work with or produce research animals in North America and Europe are accredited, with the exception of new and recently acquired facilities that are in the process of planning for accreditation, by AAALAC International, a private, nonprofit, independent accrediting organization that promotes the humane care and treatment of animals in science and education through voluntary accreditation and assessment programs.

Our import and export of animals and our operations in foreign countries are subject to applicable international agreements and conventions, as well as a variety of national, regional and local laws and regulations, which establish the standards for the humane treatment, care, handling and transport of animals by dealers and research facilities. We only use accredited and experienced transporters for importing and exporting animals who are specialists in their field. We comply with global requirements which are evaluated by import and export authorities at each point of exit and entry. Imported animals are quarantined in our quarantine facilities as required by government agencies and tested to ensure they meet both the government mandates and our own specifications for pathogens and health of the animals.

We conduct non-clinical safety assessment studies to support the submissions for approval or licensing of our clients’ products throughout the world. Many of these studies must comply with national statutory or regulatory