362 • Alternatives to Animal Use in Research, Testing, and Education 
seen by assessment panels chosen by the CCAC. 
The typical panel consists of three scientists, one 
representative appointed by the Canadian Feder- 
ation of Humane Societies, and the Director of 
Assessments, acting ex officio. Panelists are se- 
lected, to the extent possible, for the fields of re- 
search at the institution to be assessed. 
Institutions, contacted in advance, complete a 
questionnaire describing the local ACC, the re- 
search facilities, the animals used, and the person- 
nel. After the facility has been inspected (for as 
long as 4 days in large institutions), the panel dis- 
cusses its general findings with the ACC and 
reports in confidence to the principal official of 
the institution. If the panel is dissatisfied, a followup 
visit may be scheduled. Major assessments occur 
approximately every 2 years; minor ones, or re- 
assessments, occur less frequently (15,23). 
Identified problems that are widespread are 
solved at the national level. For example, inap- 
propriate use of certain animals as models, poor 
surgical or anesthesia techniques, dated equip- 
ment, and poor husbandry led the CCAC's ad hoc 
Education Committee to issue the Syllabus of the 
Basic Principles of Laboratory Animal Science in 
1983 (16). Several Canadian universities have used 
the syllabus in short courses in basic laboratory - 
animal science, and one university proposed that 
such courses be mandatory for graduate students 
who may use animals during research (27). 
Although there are no penalties in law or regu- 
lation for violating CCAC standards, an incentive 
for compliance has been provided by the Health 
Protection Branch of the Department of National 
Health and Welfare since 1975. It includes in its 
contracts with private sector institutions a require- 
ment that the CCAC Guide be followed. All gov- 
ernmental departments with contracts involving 
animal experimentation have now adopted simi- 
lar provisions, and a finding of noncompliance is 
grounds for terminating a contract (28,51). 
Responding to increasing criticism from some 
quarters about CCAC’s reliance on researchers to 
police themselves and to more frequent demands 
for Provincial legislation controlling research ani- 
mal use, Canada's Minister of State for Science and 
Technology requested a review of CCAC’s effec- 
tiveness in 1981. A special committee formed to 
conduct the review found that the CCAC has had 
considerable influence in eliminating those prob- 
lems that led to its establishment and that it works 
effectively to produce further improvements. The 
site inspections involving the humane society and 
the facility upgrading were found to have resulted 
in Canadian animal care facilities now being among 
the best in the world (28). 
JAPAN 
The protections afforded animals in Japan are 
like those of Europe in their requirements for 
anesthetics and euthanasia, as well as in their 
concern, in particular, about dogs and cats. An 
interesting facet of the Japanese laws is that they 
combine the protection of animals with the respon- 
sibility of those possessing animals to protect other 
humans from them. 
The principal law governing animal control and 
treatment in Japan (33) went into effect in 1974. 
Its purposes are to prevent cruelty to animals; to 
provide for appropriate treatment, taking natu- 
ral habits into account; to engender a feeling of 
love for animals among people, thereby contrib- 
uting to the development of respect for life and 
sentiments of friendship and peace; and to pro- 
tect humans from any hazards to themselves or 
their property that could result from possession 
by others of domestic or laboratory animals. The 
law establishes a fine of up to $1,400 for violations 
of the law or of standards implementing it (32, 
33,34). 
The law protects all mammals and birds, but it 
is apparently intended to apply to other species 
as well. It establishes several responsibilities rele- 
vant to research: 
• Those possessing animals are responsible for 
their maintenance, health, safety, and control. 
• Where an animal is used for education, ex- 
perimental research, manufacture of biotics, 
or other scientific purposes, the animal is to 
