Research on nonhuman vertebrates is governed by a number of federal regulations including:

1) 7 U.S.C. 2131-2157- Animal Welfare Act
The main goal of this law is to ensure that animals involved in research are housed, transported, cared for, and euthanized in a responsible way that causes minimum pain or discomfort for the animals.

See the U. S. National Institutes of Health, Office of Protection From Research Risks website (http://www.nih.gov/grants/oprr/oprr.htm), or the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service website ( http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/ ) for access to resources and links on the Animal Welfare Act and specific animal research regulations, protocols and alternatives.