About

Standards, assessment and certification, and training and networking are the three pillars on which the CCAC is built to deliver its mandate and ensure the effective implementation of high standards for the ethical care and use of animals in science. Canada is the only country that integrates the delivery of these components under one umbrella organization. This essential service, built on expertise and knowledge from more than fifty years of involvement in the animal-based science community, continually undergoes refinements to improve its robust system of standards and the quality of its independent oversight.

The core ethos of the CCAC is the fundamental ethical requirement to treat animals used for research, teaching, and testing with the highest standards of care. The CCAC fulfills this public trust and works to ensure that animal-based science in certified institutions takes place only when necessary, that the use of animals is ethical, and that their care and welfare are guided by high quality, evidence-informed standards.

The involvement of the CCAC’s more than 2,000 volunteers is a notable factor in this uniquely Canadian system’s success in generating acceptance of its standards. These volunteers include veterinarians, animal welfare experts, researchers, teachers, bioethicists, and members of the public, and their wealth of experience is essential to every aspect of the CCAC’s mission.