Featured News
Advancing Animal Welfare and Transparency with USARO Agreement
Our commitment to animal welfare
At Charles River, animal welfare is not just a policy; it’s a guiding principle that shapes everything we do. Through our Humane Care Imperative, we ensure the highest standards of care for every research animal, reflecting our conviction that ethical science and innovation go hand in hand.
We lead with responsibility and compassion by:
- Adhering to the 3Rs, replacement, reduction and refinement, while investing in technologies and practices that minimize animal use without compromising scientific integrity.
- Driving innovation in alternatives, through initiatives like the 3Rs Collaborative and development of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to minimize reliance on animal models.
- Education and advocacy, fostering a culture of responsibility and compassion across the scientific community.
- Embracing a Culture of Care, with respect to the use of animals in scientific research, built around four supporting pillars: exceptional animal care and welfare, empowering our people, scientific integrity and quality, and openness and transparency.
A Milestone for Transparency in Animal Welfare
On November 11, 2025, Charles River joined at least 10 pioneering institutions at the AALAS National Meeting to sign the U.S. Animal Research Openness (USARO) Agreement. This landmark event united organizations around a shared vision: a future where transparency and animal welfare strengthen public trust in essential research.
The signing at this year’s AALAS National Meeting was just the beginning. Regional signing events will roll out in the coming months, expanding this movement nationwide. We will continue to lead by example by championing openness, advancing alternatives, and prioritizing animal welfare in every aspect of our work.
Watch this two-part webinar series to learn how you can integrate NAMs and in vitro methods into testing and development workflows. Our experts explain practical approaches to ensure regulatory acceptance and streamline innovation for your endocrine disruption (ED) and developmental and reproductive toxicology (DART) programs.
Watch On Demand