182 HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS USED IN RESEARCH 
Mr. Roberts. I notice from just a quick reading — I haven’t had 
time to read the survey — that you do make a statement in section 6 on 
page 16 that — 
there was an apparent lack of emphasis on disease control in laboratory ani- 
mals. Few institutions have adequate quarantine facilities and procedures for 
newly arrived animals. 
Has there been any effort to improve that situation ? 
Dr. Thorp. It has been my observation that the newer facilities 
that have come to my attention in connection with the research facil- 
ities program of matching money for facilities, that in most of these, 
there is an expansion of the animal facilities. I think the problem 
here is that animal facilities as far as the quarantine is concerned 
have been used for research, and the other reason is that the source 
of animals commercially nowadays is pretty good in all areas of the 
country. And in some instances in some species this matter of quar- 
antine is not as important as it is in others. But it has been my 
observation that as the research facilities program goes along and 
improves facilities, that this will be eventually taken care of. 
Mr. Roberts. Would you care to comment on the training of ani- 
mal care personnel ? 
Dr. Thorp. It would be my opinion that this is very important to 
our whole research program. The ultimate supervision of the animal 
care people should be of a professional type. The really actual care 
that takes place is done by the animal caretaker or the animal tech- 
nician. And that is why I said in my brief remarks that I felt some- 
where in our program there should be some means of training these 
people. There are some training programs in our larger medical 
centers. I think this is a sort of thing that should be expanded. 
There are two programs, one at UCLA in Los Angeles, and one at 
Bowman Gray Medical Center, training programs supported by the 
National Institutes of Health on a professional level for a veter- 
inarian to go on and receive training in animal care. There are train- 
ing programs carried out by local animal care panel groups in New 
York and San Francisco and in other areas where there is a medical 
center. But I think this is something that needs some support. 
Mr. Roberts. I believe on page 8 you have a page devoted to pro- 
fessional direction of animal care activities. Would you care to com- 
ment on that ? 
Dr. Thorp. Well, it has been my opinion that in those institutions 
where they have had professionals directing the animal facilities, as 
dean of a college of veterinary medicine, I know that in a number 
of these institutions they have veterinarians that have obtained ex- 
perience in this area, and where you have them I think you are going 
to have a high order of animal care, you reach that goal much quicker 
if you have a full-time professional individual devoting the time to 
this. 
Mr. Roberts. The reason I mentioned that, I note in the first sen- 
tence you state that “11 of 58 institutions have organized their animal 
facilities under full-time professional direction,” which would be a 
rather low percentage, it would seem to me, that have any professional 
direction. 
Dr. Thorp. I would like to comment on that. In 11 of the 58 you 
have, I believe, a central animal facility with a director carrying on 
