AAALAC Accreditation

AAALAC International

The global benchmark accreditation for institutions that house and use laboratory animals, including dogs.

01 What It Is

AAALAC International is a private, non-profit organisation that runs a voluntary, performance-based accreditation programme for institutions using animals in research, teaching and testing. Used by institutions across dozens of countries, its accreditation is treated as the international gold standard for laboratory-animal care, sought on top of whatever the local law already requires.

02 What It Covers

Accreditation evaluates the whole animal care and use programme: veterinary care, housing and husbandry, environmental enrichment, and the institutional oversight that governs it. Its performance-based approach judges outcomes rather than prescribing one design, against primary references such as the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the relevant national law.

03 How It Is Checked

An institution prepares a detailed Program Description and undergoes an in-depth, confidential peer-review assessment, including a site visit, by AAALAC’s Council on Accreditation. Accreditation is not one-off: accredited institutions are re-evaluated on a recurring cycle to keep their status, so the standard is maintained rather than earned once.

04 Why It Matters

National law sets the floor for research animals; AAALAC accreditation is how an institution shows it goes beyond it. For a dog in a research setting the difference is meaningful: accreditation signals independent, expert scrutiny of its housing, care and the justification for its use, layered on top of the legal minimum.

Primary sources

What is AAALAC accreditation?aaalac.org