Charles River France, Germany and Italy Receive AAALAC Accreditation
Charles River research model breeding and services facilities in France, Germany and Italy have received full accreditation of their animal care and use programmes
Charles River is proud to announce that its research model breeding and services facilities in France, Germany and Italy have recently received full accreditation of their animal care and use programmes from the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International. Only a handful of commercial breeders in Europe have received this prestigious accreditation.
AAALAC is an internationally recognised, nonprofit organisation that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through voluntary accreditation and assessment programmes. AAALAC International accreditation is issued to organisations that demonstrate commitment to responsible animal care and use.
Participation in the accreditation process is voluntary and includes a site visit and programme evaluation conducted by the best animal care and use professionals and researchers from around the globe. The AAALAC Council on Accreditation then determines which institutions are to be accredited.
Charles River Humane Care Initiative
Our Humane Care Initiative was put in place to ensure that we remain a world leader in the humane care of laboratory animals, working hand-in-hand with the scientific community to understand how living conditions, handling procedures and stress play an important role in the quality and efficiency of research. As animal caregivers and researchers, we are responsible to our clients and the public for the health and well-being of the animals in our care.
New partnership to increase supply of rabbits
Meanwhile, in response to the increase in demand for high-quality New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits, Charles River has entered into a contract breeding partnership with Oakwood Research in the US. As of 1 March, Oakwood is an appointed breeding contractor of specific pathogen-free (SPF) NZW rabbits for Charles River. Under this agreement, Charles River will be the sole contact for the customer. This includes assuming all customer service responsibilities, such as ordering and shipping, sales and marketing, and technical and scientific support.
Benefits include:
- Increased availability: Through this partnership, Charles River will be able to meet increased demand for stock and timed-pregnant rabbits.
- Ease of ordering: All orders will be placed through Charles River Customer Service. Customers will have the option to order SPF NZW rabbits from either the Oakwood or Charles River Canada location.
- Dedicated shipping: Rabbits sourced from Oakwood will be delivered by Direct Services - Charles River's dedicated delivery partner. At the time of the order, Customer Service will provide information on the delivery options that are available.