Laboratory Animal Care Audit
Exposing the conditions animals endure inside U.S. research laboratories
and the federal oversight failures that allow them to continue.
Every year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture inspects facilities that use animals in research and testing.
Those inspection reports are public record — but they’re scattered, dense, and rarely synthesized into anything actionable. The Laboratory Animal Care Audit is our annual examination of that federal data, designed to give advocates, legal professionals, and journalists the documented evidence they need to drive real accountability.
Now in its third year, the 2026 Audit reviewed USDA inspection reports from animal-use labs across the country. What we found:
- 92 facilities cited for animal welfare violations
- 45 repeat offenders — cited in prior years and still non-compliant
- 28 states represented
- 0 fines issued for any violation
That last finding isn’t a typo. Despite documented, repeated violations, federal regulators issued no financial penalties in 2025.
Explore the findings
Why this report matters
Animal welfare advocates and campaigners: The Audit provides facility-level violation data you can use to target campaigns, support legislative efforts, and build public pressure on non-compliant institutions.
Animal law attorneys and educators: Access a systematically compiled record of documented USDA violations by facility — useful for case research, classroom instruction, and policy analysis.
Media and investigative journalists: The Audit does the data work for you. Facility names, violation types, repeat offender status, and a zero-fine enforcement record — a ready-made foundation for investigative reporting.
From Violations to Sanctuary
We’ll discuss what these findings mean for animals—and how we can push for real change in research oversight and animal protection.
