The University of California, Berkeley, is proud of its professional animal care and use program. As part of its compliance with federal Animal Welfare Act Regulations, UC Berkeley is subject to random, unannounced inspections by USDA veterinarians. The Public Health Service also reviews UC Berkeley annually for compliance with the service's policies and the National Research Council guide. It has the authority to suspend or terminate all Public Health Service support for research involving animals, including that from the National Institutes of Health. She and three other veterinarians, among them a resident in UC Berkeley's certified training program in Laboratory Animal Medicine, are licensed by the State of California and are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to assure the best care for the animals.
Technicians receive on-going training and opportunities for professional development.
OLAC oversees about 40,000 animals on an average day. Fifty percent are mice and 40 percent are cold-blooded animals, such as amphibians, fish and reptiles. Only those projects approved by ACUC may go forward. It consists of faculty members who use animals in research, faculty members who do not use animals, members of the general public, a veterinary specialist in laboratory animal medicine, a graduate student in the biological sciences and an animal technician. Faculty members who wish to use animals must submit an extensive written protocol to the ACUC that provides a rationale for the use of animals, justifies the number and species of animals they plan to use, and describes in detail the steps that will be taken to prevent or minimize possible animal pain or distress.