The rest are purchased from highly-regulated Class B animal dealers or from pounds, where otherwise the animals would be put to death. The U.S. Department of Agriculture mandates that animals procured from pounds must be held on the pound's premises for five days and on the dealer's premises for additional five or ten days. Therefore, the USDA-mandated holding period is ten to fifteen days, providing ample time for owners to locate lost pets, or for unwanted animals to find new homes. The majority of animals must be euthanized to obtain tissue samples for evaluation and for use in in vitro tests. Animals are euthanized humanely using guidelines set forth by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Animal research is one of the most regulated aspects of medical research.
The Animal Welfare Act strictly sets forth the care of laboratory animals. This federal law contains the standards for all aspects of care and experimentation on laboratory animals, from feeding to ventilation, to provisions for the use of anesthesia for possibly painful procedures. Each institution also is mandated to have an animal care and use committee, which has at least one member from outside the institution. Other good sources of information are the organizations listed on our links page. The American Physiological Society also maintains an excellent fact sheet on the use of animals in research.