f6098d8b__and_Use_of_Laboratory_Animals__Comments
[ID] 486 [Entry Date] 04/25/2011 at 09:06:55 AM [Affiliation] Organization [Organization Name] West Chester University [Organization City and State] West Chester, Pennsylvania [Comments] 
Comment 1: I vote AGAINST adoption. The new Guide is nearly twice as long as the 1996 version, and contains a great deal of new policy that promises to significantly increase a) the expense of research, b) the paperwork burden on researchers, and c) the authority of local IACUCs to restrict already peer-reviewed research. And while some of the new recommendations are based on empirical research, many are not (e.g., cage sizes, food and liquid restriction). Although only federally funded research is currently at issue, because the OLAW standards set the compliance agenda for all IACUCs, it is only a matter of time before the more stringent regulatory standards trickle down to even small-scale animal research and teaching programs. Comment 2: Because of the extent and complexity of proposed new requirements if adoped, I recommend at least 4 years (e.g., 2015)for compliance given the expense of a variety of cage size and housing requirements at a time of great financial difficulty for research institutions.
Listing of Public Comments on Proposed Adoption and Implementation of the Eighth Edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals