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7 U.S. Code § 2143. Standards and certification process for humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of animals
(a) Promulgation of standards, rules, regulations, and orders; requirements; research facilities; State authority
(1)
The Secretary shall promulgate standards to govern the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of animals by dealers, research facilities, and exhibitors.
(2) The standards described in paragraph (1) shall include minimum requirements—
(A)
for handling, housing, feeding, watering, sanitation, ventilation, shelter from extremes of weather and temperatures, adequate veterinary care, and separation by species where the Secretary finds necessary for humane handling, care, or treatment of animals; and
(B)
for exercise of dogs, as determined by an attending veterinarian in accordance with general standards promulgated by the Secretary, and for a physical environment adequate to promote the psychological well-being of primates.
(3) In addition to the requirements under paragraph (2), the standards described in paragraph (1) shall, with respect to animals in research facilities, include requirements—
(A)
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;
(B)
that the principal investigator considers alternatives to any procedure likely to produce pain to or distress in an experimental animal;
(C) in any practice which could cause pain to animals—
(i)
that a doctor of veterinary medicine is consulted in the planning of such procedures;
(ii)
for the use of tranquilizers, analgesics, and anesthetics;
(iii)
for pre-surgical and post-surgical care by laboratory workers, in accordance with established veterinary medical and nursing procedures;
(iv)
against the use of paralytics without anesthesia; and
(v)
that the withholding of tranquilizers, anesthesia, analgesia, or euthanasia when scientifically necessary shall continue for only the necessary period of time;
(D) that no animal is used in more than one major operative experiment from which it is allowed to recover except in cases of—
(i)
scientific necessity; or
(ii)
other special circumstances as determined by the Secretary; and
(E)
that exceptions to such standards may be made only when specified by research protocol and that any such exception shall be detailed and explained in a report outlined under paragraph (7) and filed with the Institutional Animal Committee.
(4)
The Secretary shall also promulgate standards to govern the transportation in commerce, and the handling, care, and treatment in connection therewith, by intermediate handlers, air carriers, or other carriers, of animals consigned by any dealer, research facility, exhibitor, operator of an auction sale, or other person, or any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States or of any State or local government, for transportation in commerce. The Secretary shall have authority to promulgate such rules and regulations as he determines necessary to assure humane treatment of animals in the course of their transportation in commerce including requirements such as those with respect to containers, feed, water, rest, ventilation, temperature, and handling.