In essence, the Act provides for unannounced inspections by officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure compliance with respect to humane care of animals used in research, their housing, and medical care including the appropriate use of anesthetic, analgesic, or tranquilizing drugs, when such use would be proper in the opinion of the attending veterinarian at the research facility. The objective is to effectively minimize the pain and discomfort of the animals while under experimentation.
Painful procedures require consultation with a veterinarian in advance of performing the protocol.
In addition, amendments to the act require an annual training program to be provided for investigators and technicians, which shall include appropriate methods of using lab animals, alternatives to lab animals, and use of the National Agricultural Library to avoid duplication of research. The Act covers all warm-blooded animals used in research. Regulations also prohibit multiple survival surgery and paralysis without analgesia. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services requires that certain guidelines be met prior to submission of an application for Federal funds for conducting research. Private granting agencies such as the American Heart Association also require compliance with these guidelines.