Animal welfare is the ethical responsibility of ensuring animal well-being. Animal well-being is the condition in which animals experience good health, are able to effectively cope with their environment, and are able to express a diversity of species-typical behaviors (read more at www.AVMA.org). Protecting an animal's welfare means providing for its physical and mental needs.

NABR’s Commitment to Animal Welfare – NABR is committed to the judicious, humane use of animals in biomedical research, higher education and product safety testing. In support of this commitment NABR advocates for the development and implementation of public policy based upon sound scientific information and/or current standards of practice as defined by experts in the fields of laboratory animal science and medicine. To this end NABR relies upon the input of its members and experts in the fields of laboratory animal science and medicine in developing its policy positions and public statements.

Assuring Animal Welfare – While the various regulatory, funding and accrediting agencies have established regulations and requirements designed to assure that the welfare of those animals used in biomedical research, teaching and testing, the day-to-day assurance comes from the oversight of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and the program of veterinary care that must be in place at each research institution.

Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals – The scientific community has long recognized its professional and moral obligation to protect and improve the welfare of laboratory animals. In fact members of the scientific community concerned about the care and treatment of laboratory animals established voluntary standards long before there were any government regulations.