Ensuring Adequate Veterinary Care: Roles and Responsibilities of Facility Owners and Attending Veterinarians March 1999
Under the Animal Welfare Act, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) requires that all persons who use animals in research or for exhibition, sell them at the wholesale level, or transport them in commerce, provide these animals with adequate veterinary care and animal husbandry. Toward this end, APHIS requires the owner of each licensed and registered facility to establish a formal program of veterinary care. Facility owners must also employ an attending veterinarian to oversee the care afforded the animals. Essential Components of a Veterinary Care Program APHIS personnel assess each facility's veterinary care program to determine whether it contains the following elements:
The attending veterinarian is responsible for reviewing the facility's veterinary care program at least once a year. Facilities must employ their veterinarians under the following terms:
When conducting a review of a facility's veterinary care program, the attending veterinarian should check for vaccinations, parasite-control programs, euthanasia methods, exercise programs for dogs, environmental enrichment programs for primates, and several other specific provisions. The checklist on this tech note provides a detailed list of these provisions for use in evaluating specific veterinary care programs. Additional Information For more information, or if you have other questions about the veterinary care requirements under the Animal Welfare Act, contact your local APHIS Animal Care inspector or field veterinary medical officer, or: Animal Care
Telephone: (301) 734-7833 E-mail: ace@usda.gov Web page: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac Veterinary Care Checklist This checklist should be used when reviewing a facility's veterinary care program and kept on file at the facility for review by APHIS personnel. Facility Name: __________________________________________ Date of Visit: __________________________________________ Review each item below with the facility owner. Place an "x" next to each item discussed and "N/A" next to those items that are not applicable. ____ Vaccinations ____ Parasite control program ____ Emergency care ____ Euthanasia methods ____ Nutritive value of diets ____ Handling of biologics and drugs ____ Pest control and product safety ____ Quarantine procedures ____ Exercise program (dogs only) ____ Environmental enrichment (primates only) ____ Water quality (marine mammals only) ____ Capture and restraint methods (wild or exotic animals only) ____ General observations ____ overall facility conditionComments and recommendations on overall health of animals and effectiveness of veterinary care program: _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Signature of Attending Veterinarian: _____________________________________________________ The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202)720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. |