On January 8, in the U.S. District Court here, Judge Charles Richey ruled that the Agriculture Department had no valid reason to omit from inspection, called for under the 1971 amended version of the Animal Welfare Act, an estimated 15 to 20 million rodents and birds--representing 85 percent of all animals used in research labs across the country. The law requires USDA to register and inspect regularly any institution or company that uses, breeds, or cares for laboratory animals. He ordered department officials to review their decision--made in 1971 because the department wished to direct its limited resources toward the well-being of such higher-order animals as dogs, cats, and primates--as a first step in issuing regulations to cover rodents and birds.
USDA currently oversees some 7,600 sites, including colleges, companies, and carriers of research animals, which it inspects an average of 1.5 times a year. In addition, institutions that receive ...
