For the purposes of this subchapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms shall have the meanings assigned to them in this section. The singular form shall also signify the plural and the masculine form shall also signify the feminine. Words undefined in the following paragraphs shall have the meaning attributed to them in general usage as reflected by definitions in a standard dictionary.
Act means the Act of August 24, 1966 (Pub. L. 89-544), (commonly known as the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act), as amended by the Act of December 24, 1970 (Pub. L. 91-579), (the Animal Welfare Act of 1970), the Act of April 22, 1976 (Pub. L. 94-279), (the Animal Welfare Act of 1976), and the Act of December 23, 1985 (Pub. L. 99-198), (the Food Security Act of 1985), and as it may be subsequently amended.
Activity means, for purposes of part 2, subpart C of this subchapter, those elements of research, testing, or teaching procedures that involve the care and use of animals.
Administrative unit means the organizational or management unit at the departmental level of a research facility.
Administrator. The Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or any person authorized to act for the Administrator.
Ambient temperature means the air temperature surrounding the animal.
Animal means any live or dead dog, cat, nonhuman primate, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, or any other warmblooded animal, which is being used, or is intended for use for research, teaching, testing, experimentation, or exhibition purposes, or as a pet. This term excludes birds, rats of the genus Rattus, and mice of the genus Mus, bred for use in research; horses not used for research purposes; and other farm animals, such as, but not limited to, livestock or poultry used or intended for use as food or fiber, or livestock or poultry used or intended for use for improving animal nutrition, breeding, management, or production efficiency, or for improving the quality of food or fiber. This term also excludes falconry. With respect to a dog, the term means all dogs, including those used for hunting, security, or breeding purposes.
Animal act means any performance of animals where such animals are trained to perform some behavior or action or are part of a show, performance, or exhibition.
APHIS official means any person employed by the Department who is authorized to perform a function under the Act and the regulations in 9 CFR parts 1, 2, and 3.
Attending veterinarian means a person who has graduated from a veterinary school accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association's Council on Education, or has a certificate issued by the American Veterinary Medical Association's Education Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates, or has received equivalent formal education as determined by the Administrator; has received training and/or experience in the care and management of the species being attended; and who has direct or delegated authority for activities involving animals at a facility subject to the jurisdiction of the Secretary.
Bird means any member of the class Aves, excluding eggs, but including birds once the hatching process commences.
Bred for use in research means an animal that is bred in captivity and used for research, teaching, testing, or experimentation purposes.
Buffer area means that area in a primary enclosure for a swim-with-the-dolphin program that is off-limits to members of the public and that directly abuts the interactive area.
Business hours means a reasonable number of hours between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. each week of the year, during which inspections by APHIS may be made.
Business year means the 12-month period during which business is conducted, and may be either on a calendar or fiscal-year basis.
Carrier means the operator of any airline, railroad, motor carrier, shipping line, or other enterprise which is engaged in the business of transporting any animals for hire. Except anyone transporting a migratory bird covered under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act from the wild to a facility for rehabilitation and eventual release in the wild, or between rehabilitation facilities, and has obtained authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for that purpose, is not a “carrier”.
Cat means any live or dead cat (Felis catus) or any cat-hybrid cross.
Class “A” licensee (breeder) means a person subject to the licensing requirements under part 2 and meeting the definition of a “dealer” (§ 1.1), and whose business involving animals consists only of animals that are bred and raised on the premises in a closed or stable colony and those animals acquired for the sole purpose of maintaining or enhancing the breeding colony.
Class “B” licensee means a person subject to the licensing requirements under part 2 and meeting the definition of a “dealer” (§ 1.1), and whose business includes the purchase and/or resale of any animal. This term includes brokers, and operators of an auction sale, as such individuals negotiate or arrange for the purchase, sale, or transport of animals in commerce. Such individuals do not usually take actual physical possession or control of the animals, and do not usually hold animals in any facilities. A class “B” licensee may also exhibit animals as a minor part of the business.
Class “C” licensee (exhibitor) means a person subject to the licensing requirements under part 2 and meeting the definition of an “exhibitor” (§ 1.1), and whose business involves the showing or displaying of animals to the public. A class “C” licensee may buy and sell animals as a minor part of the business in order to maintain or add to his animal collection.
Commerce means trade, traffic, transportation, or other commerce:
(1) Between a place in a State and any place outside of such State, including any foreign country, or between points within the same State but through any place outside thereof, or within any territory, possession, or the District of Columbia; or
(2) Which affects the commerce described in this part.
Committee means the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) established under section 13(b) of the Act. It shall consist of at least three (3) members, one of whom is the attending veterinarian of the research facility and one of whom is not affiliated in any way with the facility other than as a member of the committee, however, if the research facility has more than one Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), another DVM with delegated program responsibility may serve. The research facility shall establish the Committee for the purpose of evaluating the care, treatment, housing, and use of animals, and for certifying compliance with the Act by the research facility.
Dealer means any person who, in commerce, for compensation or profit, delivers for transportation, or transports, except as a carrier, buys, or sells, or negotiates the purchase or sale of: Any dog or other animal whether alive or dead (including unborn animals, organs, limbs, blood, serum, or other parts) for research, teaching, testing, experimentation, exhibition, or use as a pet; or any dog at the wholesale level for hunting, security, or breeding purposes. This term does not include: A retail pet store, as defined in this section; and any retail outlet where dogs are sold for hunting, breeding, or security purposes.
Department means the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Deputy Administrator means the Deputy Administrator for Animal Care (AC) or any other official of AC to whom authority has been delegated to act in his stead.
Dog means any live or dead dog (Canis familiaris) or any dog-hybrid cross.
Dwarf hamster means any species of hamster such as the Chinese and Armenian species whose adult body size is substantially less than that attained by the Syrian or Golden species of hamsters.
Endangered species means those species defined in the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and as it may be subsequently amended.
Euthanasia means the humane destruction of an animal accomplished by a method that produces rapid unconsciousness and subsequent death without evidence of pain or distress, or a method that utilizes anesthesia produced by an agent that causes painless loss of consciousness and subsequent death
Exhibitor means any person (public or private) exhibiting any animals, which were purchased in commerce or the intended distribution of which affects commerce, or will affect commerce, to the public for compensation, as determined by the Secretary. This term includes carnivals, circuses, animal acts (including free-flighted bird shows), zoos, and educational exhibits, exhibiting such animals whether operated for profit or not. This term excludes retail pet stores, horse, dog, and pigeon races, an owner of a common, domesticated household pet who derives less than a substantial portion of income from a nonprimary source (as determined by the Secretary) for exhibiting an animal that exclusively resides at the residence of the pet owner, organizations sponsoring and all persons participating in State and country fairs, livestock shows, rodeos, field trials, coursing events, falconry, purebred dog and cat shows, bird fancier shows, and any other fairs or exhibitions intended to advance agricultural arts and sciences, as may be determined by the Secretary.
Exotic animal means any animal not identified in the definition of “animal” provided in this part that is native to a foreign country or of foreign origin or character, is not native to the United States, or was introduced from abroad. This term specifically includes animals such as, but not limited to, lions, tigers, leopards, elephants, camels, antelope, anteaters, kangaroos, and water buffalo, and species of foreign domestic cattle, such as Ankole, Gayal, and Yak.
Farm animal means any domestic species of cattle, sheep, swine, goats, llamas, horses, or poultry, which are normally and have historically been kept and raised on farms in the United States and used or intended for use as food or fiber, or for improving animal nutrition, breeding, management, or production efficiency, or for improving the quality of food or fiber. This term also includes animals such as rabbits, mink, chinchilla, and ratites when they are used solely for purposes of meat, fur, feathers, or skin, and animals such as horses and llamas when used solely as work and pack animals.
Federal agency means an Executive agency as such term is defined in section 105 of title 5, United States Code, and with respect to any research facility means the agency from which the research facility receives a Federal award for the conduct of research, experimentation, or testing involving the use of animals.
Federal award means any mechanism (including a grant, award, loan, contract, or cooperative agreement) under which Federal funds are used to support the conduct of research, experimentation, or testing, involving the use of animals. The permit system established under the authorities of the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, are not considered to be Federal awards under the Animal Welfare Act.
Federal research facility means each department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States which uses live animals for research or experimentation.
Field study means a study conducted on free-living wild animals in their natural habitat. However, this term excludes any study that involves an invasive procedure, harms, or materially alters the behavior of an animal under study.
Handling means petting, feeding, watering, cleaning, manipulating, loading, crating, shifting, transferring, immobilizing, restraining, treating, training, working and moving, or any similar activity with respect to any animal.
Housing facility means any land, premises, shed, barn, building, trailer, or other structure or area housing or intended to house animals.
Hybrid cross means an animal resulting from the crossbreeding between two different species or types of animals. Crosses between wild animal species, such as lions and tigers, are considered to be wild animals. Crosses between wild animal species and domestic animals, such as dogs and wolves or buffalo and domestic cattle, are considered to be domestic animals.
Impervious surface means a surface that does not permit the absorption of fluids. Such surfaces are those that can be thoroughly and repeatedly cleaned and disinfected, will not retain odors, and from which fluids bead up and run off or can be removed without their being absorbed into the surface material.
Indoor housing facility means any structure or building with environmental controls housing or intended to house animals and meeting the following three requirements:
(1) It must be capable of controlling the temperature within the building or structure within the limits set forth for that species of animal, of maintaining humidity levels of 30 to 70 percent and of rapidly eliminating odors from within the building; and
(2) It must be an enclosure created by the continuous connection of a roof, floor, and walls (a shed or barn set on top of the ground does not have a continuous connection between the walls and the ground unless a foundation and floor are provided); and
(3) It must have at least one door for entry and exit that can be opened and closed (any windows or openings which provide natural light must be covered with a transparent material such as glass or hard plastic).
Interactive area means that area in a primary enclosure for a swim-with-the-dolphin program where an interactive session takes place.
Interactive session means a swim-with-the-dolphin program session where members of the public enter a primary enclosure to interact with cetaceans.
Intermediate handler means any person, including a department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States or of any State or local government (other than a dealer, research facility, exhibitor, any person excluded from the definition of a dealer, research facility, or exhibitor, an operator of an auction sale, or a carrier), who is engaged in any business in which he receives custody of animals in connection with their transportation in commerce. Except anyone transporting a migratory bird covered under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act from the wild to a facility for rehabilitation and eventual release in the wild, or between rehabilitation facilities, and has obtained authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for that purpose, is not an “intermediate handler”.
Inspector means any person employed by the Department who is authorized to perform a function under the Act and the regulations in 9 CFR parts 1, 2, and 3.
Institutional official means the individual at a research facility who is authorized to legally commit on behalf of the research facility that the requirements of 9 CFR parts 1, 2, and 3 will be met.
Isolation in regard to marine mammals means the physical separation of animals to prevent contact and a separate, noncommon, water circulation and filtration system for the isolated animals.
Licensed veterinarian means a person who has graduated from an accredited school of veterinary medicine or has received equivalent formal education as determined by the Administrator, and who has a valid license to practice veterinary medicine in some State.
Licensee means any person licensed according to the provisions of the Act and the regulations in part 2 of this subchapter.
Major operative procedure means any surgical intervention that penetrates and exposes a body cavity or any procedure which produces permanent impairment of physical or physiological functions.
Minimum horizontal dimension (MHD) means the diameter of a circular pool of water, or in the case of a square, rectangle, oblong, or other shape pool, the diameter of the largest circle that can be inserted within the confines of such a pool of water.
Mobile or traveling housing facility means a transporting vehicle such as a truck, trailer, or railway car, used to house animals while traveling for exhibition or public education purposes.
Nonconditioned animals means animals which have not been subjected to special care and treatment for sufficient time to stabilize, and where necessary, to improve their health.
Nonhuman primate means any nonhuman member of the highest order of mammals including prosimians, monkeys, and apes.
Operator of an auction sale means any person who is engaged in operating an auction at which animals are purchased or sold in commerce.
Outdoor housing facility means any structure, building, land, or premise, housing or intended to house animals, which does not meet the definition of any other type of housing facility provided in the regulations, and in which temperatures cannot be controlled within set limits.
Painful procedure as applied to any animal means any procedure that would reasonably be expected to cause more than slight or momentary pain or distress in a human being to which that procedure was applied, that is, pain in excess of that caused by injections or other minor procedures.
Paralytic drug means a drug which causes partial or complete loss of muscle contraction and which has no anesthetic or analgesic properties, so that the animal cannot move, but is completely aware of its surroundings and can feel pain.
Person means any individual, partnership, firm, joint stock company, corporation, association, trust, estate, or other legal entity.
Pet animal means any animal that has commonly been kept as a pet in family households in the United States, such as dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, and birds. This term also includes but is not limited to such birds as canaries, cockatiels, lovebirds, and budgerigar parakeets. This term excludes exotic animals and wild animals.
Positive physical contact means petting, stroking, or other touching, which is beneficial to the well-being of the animal.
Poultry means any species of chickens, turkeys, swans, partridges, guinea fowl, and pea fowl; ducks, geese, pigeons, and doves; grouse, pheasants, and quail.
Pound or shelter means a facility that accepts and/or seizes animals for the purpose of caring for them, placing them through adoption, or carrying out law enforcement, whether or not the facility is operated for profit.
Primary conveyance means the main method of transportation used to convey an animal from origin to destination, such as a motor vehicle, plane, ship, or train.
Primary enclosure means any structure or device used to restrict an animal or animals to a limited amount of space, such as a room, pen, run, cage, compartment, pool, or hutch.
Principal investigator means an employee of a research facility, or other person associated with a research facility, responsible for a proposal to conduct research and for the design and implementation of research involving animals.
Quorum means a majority of the Committee members.
Random source means dogs and cats obtained from animal pounds or shelters, auction sales, or from any person who did not breed and raise them on his or her premises.
Registrant means any research facility, carrier, intermediate handler, or exhibitor not required to be licensed under section 3 of the Act, registered pursuant to the provisions of the Act and the regulations in part 2 of this subchapter.
Research facility means any school (except an elementary or secondary school), institution, organization, or person that uses or intends to use live animals in research, tests, or experiments, and that (1) purchases or transports live animals in commerce, or (2) receives funds under a grant, award, loan, or contract from a department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States for the purpose of carrying out research, tests, or experiments: Provided, That the Administrator may exempt, by regulation, any such school, institution, organization, or person that does not use or intend to use live dogs or cats, except those schools, institutions, organizations, or persons, which use substantial numbers (as determined by the Administrator) of live animals the principal function of which schools, institutions, organizations, or persons, is biomedical research or testing, when in the judgment of the Administrator, any such exemption does not vitiate the purpose of the Act.
Retail pet store means a place of business or residence at which the seller, buyer, and the animal available for sale are physically present so that every buyer may personally observe the animal prior to purchasing and/or taking custody of that animal after purchase, and where only the following animals are sold or offered for sale, at retail, for use as pets: Dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rats, mice, gophers, chinchillas, domesticated ferrets, domesticated farm-type animals, birds, and coldblooded species. Such definition excludes -
(1) Establishments or persons who deal in dogs used for hunting, security, or breeding purposes;
(2) Establishments or persons exhibiting, selling, or offering to exhibit or sell any wild or exotic or other nonpet species of warmblooded animals such as skunks, raccoons, nonhuman primates, squirrels, ocelots, foxes, coyotes, etc.;
(3) Any establishment or person selling warmblooded animals (except laboratory rats and mice) for research or exhibition purposes;
(4) Any establishment wholesaling any animals (except rats and mice); and
(5) Any establishment exhibiting pet animals in a room that is separate from or adjacent to the retail pet store, or in an outside area, or anywhere off the retail pet store premises.
Sanctuary area means that area in a primary enclosure for a swim-with-the-dolphin program that is off-limits to the public and that directly abuts the buffer area.
Sanitize means to make physically clean and to remove and destroy, to the maximum degree that is practical, agents injurious to health.
Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States or his representative who shall be an employee of the Department.
Sheltered housing facility means a housing facility which provides the animals with shelter; protection from the elements; and protection from temperature extremes at all times. A sheltered housing facility may consist of runs or pens totally enclosed in a barn or building, or of connecting inside/outside runs or pens with the inside pens in a totally enclosed building.
Standards means the requirements with respect to the humane housing, exhibition, handling, care, treatment, temperature, and transportation of animals by dealers, exhibitors research facilities, carriers, intermediate handlers, and operators of auction sales as set forth in part 3 of this subchapter.
State means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, or any other territory or possession of the United States.
Study area means any building room, area, enclosure, or other containment outside of a core facility or centrally designated or managed area in which animals are housed for more than 12 hours.
Swim-with-the-dolphin (SWTD) program means any human-cetacean interactive program in which a member of the public enters the primary enclosure in which an SWTD designated cetacean is housed to interact with the animal. This interaction includes, but such inclusions are not limited to, wading, swimming, snorkeling, or scuba diving in the enclosure. This interaction excludes, but such exclusions are not limited to, feeding and petting pools, and the participation of any member(s) of the public audience as a minor segment of an educational presentation or performance of a show.
Transporting device means an interim vehicle or device, other than man, used to transport an animal between the primary conveyance and the terminal facility or in and around the terminal facility of a carrier or intermediate handler.
Transporting vehicle means any truck, car, trailer, airplane, ship, or railroad car used for transporting animals.
Weaned means that a mammal has become accustomed to take solid food and has so done, without nursing, for a period of at least 5 consecutive days; or that a bird has become accustomed to take food and has so done, without supplemental feeding from a parent or human caretaker, for a period of at least 5 consecutive days.
Wild animal means any animal which is now or historically has been found in the wild, or in the wild state, within the boundaries of the United States, its territories, or possessions. This term includes, but is not limited to, animals such as: Deer, skunk, opossum, raccoon, mink, armadillo, coyote, squirrel, fox, wolf.
Wild state means living in its original, natural condition; not domesticated.
Zoo means any park, building, cage, enclosure, or other structure or premise in which a live animal or animals are kept for public exhibition or viewing, regardless of compensation.
[54 FR 36119, Aug. 31, 1989, as amended at 55 FR 12631, Apr. 5, 1990; 58 FR 39129, July 22, 1993; 62 FR 43275, Aug. 13, 1997; 63 FR 47148, Sept. 4, 1998; 63 FR 62926, Nov. 10, 1998; 65 FR 6314, Feb. 9, 2000; 68 FR 12285, Mar. 14, 2003; 69 FR 31514, June 4, 2004; 69 FR 42099, July 14, 2004; 78 FR 57249, Sept. 18, 2013; 83 FR 25554, June 4, 2018; 85 FR 28795, May 13, 2020; 88 FR 10712, Feb. 21, 2023]
Effective Date Note:At 64 FR 15920, Apr. 2, 1999, the definitions of buffer area, interactive area, interactive session, sanctuary area, and swim-with-the-dolphin (SWTD) program were suspended, effective Apr. 2, 1999.