History
On August 24, 1966, the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act, Public Law 89-544, became law. This law mandated that "adequate veterinary care" be provided for some species of laboratory animals kept under certain conditions. At that time, there was no organization open to all interested veterinarians which was dedicated exclusively to the problems of laboratory animal practice. Nor was there an organization devoted to the promotion or training of veterinarians engaged in laboratory animal practice.
On September 29, 1966, thirty-seven concerned veterinarians met to discuss the organizational needs in the field of laboratory animal practice. This meeting resulted in the decision to form the American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners (ASLAP). On July 11, 1967, ASLAP was incorporated in the State of Illinois and was recognized as an ancillary organization of the American Veterinary Medical Association. On July 3, 1986, ASLAP became an affiliate of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. In 1971, ASLAP attained sufficient numbers of members to have a voting representative in the House of Delegates of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
Last Updated: September 30, 1996
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