ACLAM Position Statement on Adequate Veterinary Care.

826 Introduction This position statement was developed by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) to assist in the provision and evaluation of veterinary care for laboratory animals used, or intended for use, in research, teaching, testing or production. While this document aims to deliver independent guidance for animal programs, ACLAM recognizes that both regulatory and scientific sponsoring agencies such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Public Health Service of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (PHS/DHHS), through their respective missions, sanction the provision of adequate veterinary care; further elaboration on this concept can be found within the NRC Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (2011). Additional animal care guidance is supplied by allied laboratory animal organizations, including the Association of Primate Veterinarians (APV), AAALAC International, the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) and the American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners (ASLAP). While these organizations may be founded in the United States, the shared principles regarding veterinary care are global in scope. Importantly, the professional judgment of a trained and experienced veterinarian is essential in the delivery of adequate veterinary care to laboratory animals.