Bioscience Briefing
For info about biomedical funding, animal research and other bioscience issues, click here.
Legislation Watch
So-called "Pet Safety Bills" don't protect pets but they do pose a threat to medical research. More information
Science Policy Announcements
For the latest news from the APS Science Policy click here.
Resource Book Now Available
Click here for more info on The APS Resource Book for the Design of Animal Exercise Protocols.
Organizations Opposing the Israel/Doyle Amendment to the Farm Bill
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
In its letter FASEB urged the House of Representatives to vote against the Doyle-Israel amendment because it would have “deleterious effects on biomedical research.”
“Prohibiting research institutions from purchasing animals from Class B dealers could irrevocably hinder research that potentially culminates in treatments for debilitating diseases, while doing very little to impact the regulation of animal welfare.”
American Veterinary Medical Association
In its letter the AVMA urged the members of the House of Representatives not to support the amendment because
The medical device provisions are not needed since current law already requires approval from an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee before live animals may be used for demonstration or training purposes. The proposed prohibition is “extremely broad and could negatively impact the training of veterinarians.”
The AVMA opposes the proposed increases in fines for Animal Welfare Act violations. It says the fines would be too high and could “lead to more attention being focused on paperwork preparation than on animal care.”
The ban on Class B dealers could “severely hinder the advancement of veterinary and human medicine, and affect the quality of care available for our veterinary patients.” Most importantly, this provision is unnecessary Animal Welfare Act already provides “strict rules about from whom Class B dealers may purchase animals, including unwanted dogs and cats.”