Animal Welfare Inspection Guide 2025 pdf

Animal Welfare Inspection Guide 2025

Introduction

The Animal Welfare Inspection Guide 2025 offers structured guidance for USDA inspectors to assess facilities licensed or registered under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). It aims to support consistency, professionalism, and effective enforcement without replacing the AWA regulations or inspector judgment.

• 1. Introduction

• 2. Required Inspection Procedures

• 3. General Inspection Procedures

• 4. Specific Types of Inspections

• 5. Record-Keeping

• 6. Veterinary Care Requirements

• 7. Research Facility Inspections

• 8. Confiscation Guidance

• Appendices A–F

Defines the guide's purpose and key terms like “must,” “should,” and “may.” Explains use of lists and how to navigate the guide for reference during inspections.

Outlines necessary steps for conducting inspections, including safety, identifying noncompliant items, report documentation, and handling facility refusals. Details categories of violations and response timelines.

Provides steps for planning, executing, and documenting inspections with professionalism. Includes ethics, safety, and narrative writing for inspection reports.

Addresses specialized scenarios such as airport checks, auctions, marine mammals, and petting zoos, offering tailored procedures based on setting and species.

Summarizes required facility records including acquisition, disposition, and medical logs. Emphasizes documentation for compliance and inspection readiness.

Details the role of attending veterinarians, required care programs, and protocols for documenting care and noncompliance, especially when animal health is affected.

Covers inspections of IACUC-approved protocols, facility reviews, care for specific species like dogs, and procedures for terminating research registrations.

Explains how and when animals may be confiscated due to critical noncompliance. Includes assessment tools, documentation steps, and sample forms.

• A: Forms and worksheets

• B: Animal ID and general info

• C: NCI/Direct/Critical examples

• D: Equipment lists

• E: Body condition charts

• F: Acronyms

This guide serves as a practical tool to ensure consistent, thorough inspections that uphold the standards of animal welfare across regulated facilities.