IACUC Guideline ASSIGNING PAIN AND DISTRESS LEVELS TO ANIMAL USE PROTOCOLS The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is mandated by the Animal

Regulations (AWR) to assure that the potential for more than minimal pain/distress is limited to that which is necessary for the conduct of valuable scientific research. This concept is reiterated in ILAR’s Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The AWA 1 §2143 states, “the [USDA] shall promulgate standards…for animal care, treatment and practices in experimental procedures to ensure that animal pain and distress are minimized, including adequate veterinary care with the appropriate use of anesthetic, analgesic, tranquilizing drugs or euthanasia.” The PHS Policy 2 (IV.C.1.b) and U.S. Government Principles 2 (V.) state, “Procedures that may cause more than momentary or slight pain or distress to animals will be performed with appropriate sedation, analgesia, or anesthesia, unless the procedure is justified for scientific reasons in writing by the investigator.” The AWR 3 §2.36 (b) (7) states that in the annual report to the USDA, the research facility must account for “…the numbers of animals upon whic