Guidelines and Policies
Guidelines in Development
The CCAC works to ensure that its guidelines documents are timely and relevant, and informed by expert peer advice, national and international knowledge, and Canadian values. The Three Rs, a widely accepted tenet of ethical animal care and use, is at the heart of the CCAC’s standards, encouraging institutions to implement replacement, reduction, and refinement practices in their work.
The CCAC is currently developing guidelines on the topics listed below. We encourage you to become a reviewer and contribute to the development of high ethical standards of animal care and use in science throughout Canada.
Upcoming Guidelines
- Cats (replaces Cats, 1984)
- Protocol review (replaces Protocol review, 1997)
- Rabbits (replaces Rabbits, 1984)
- Procurement (replaces Procurement of animals, 2007)
Development of First Draft
- Ferrets (replaces Ferrets, 1984)
Development of Second Draft
- Euthanasia (replaces Euthanasia of animals used in science, 2010)
- Farm animals (replaces Farm animals, 2009)
Public Review
Development of Final Draft
- Dogs (replaces Dogs, 1984)
- Ethics principles (replaces Ethics of animal investigation, 1989)
- Fish (replaces Fish, 2005)
- Hamsters and guinea pigs (replaces Hamsters, 1984; Guinea Pigs, 1984)
- Outcomes for animals (new)
Pre-Publication
Recently Published
- Reptiles (replaces Reptiles, 1984)
- Scientific procedures, Part A (2025) (replaces several chapters within Volume 1 of the Guide)
- Scientific procedures, Part B (2025) (replaces several chapters within Volume 1 of the Guide)
- Laboratory animal facilities (2024)(replaces Laboratory Animal Facilities, 2003)
- Categories of welfare impact (2024) (replaces Categories of invasiveness in animal experiments, 1991)
- Wildlife (2023) (replaces the care and use of wildlife, 2003)