Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) Practice Exam

Who administers and enforces the Animal Welfare Regulations?

1. National Institutes of Health

2. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

3. Center for Disease Control

4. Environmental Protection Agency

The correct answer is: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is responsible for administering and enforcing the Animal Welfare Regulations (AWRs). These regulations were established to ensure the humane care and treatment of animals used in research, exhibition, transport, and other regulated activities. APHIS operates under the United States Department of Agriculture and implements the Animal Welfare Act, which governs the handling, care, and treatment of animals. In terms of other agencies, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) primarily focus on biomedical research and may provide guidelines for the care of laboratory animals but does not enforce regulations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) deals with public health matters, while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is focused on environmental protection, including some aspects of toxicology involving animals, but each has a different mandate that does not include enforcing the Animal Welfare Regulations. This delineation of responsibilities makes APHIS the correct answer for this question.