Animal research within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) falls under “medical research” programs, which focus on health-care-services research, prosthetic and other rehabilitative research and mental illness research. The goal of the research is to improve the treatment for all service-related injuries and illnesses, as well as spinal cord injuries and those diseases that lead to paralysis of the lower extremities.

All VA animal research projects must be conducted according to VA Policy on animal research, which is found in VHA Handbook 1200.7, Use of Animals in Research at the VA. VA research must also comply with the Animal Welfare Act and the regulations promulgated by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). All research funded by the National Institutes of Health, including VA medical research, must include Public Health Service (PHS) Assurances of compliance with the PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. And finally, the VA has taken the additional step of requiring that all centers conducting animal research meet the accreditation standards of the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC).

Use of Animals in Research at the VA

VHA Handbook 1200.7 Use of Animals in Research.
Read the VHA Handbook (pdf) http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1268

A Memorandum of Understanding between the VA and NIH on research issues including the use of animals in research.
Read the MOU (Word document)