What animals does the Animal Welfare Act cover?

• A. Any vertebrate animal that is domesticated OR is in care/control of man
• B. Only domesticated animals
• C. Only vertebrates kept in laboratories
• D. Birds and reptiles only

Answer: (A)

The Animal Welfare Act protects vertebrate animals when they are under human care or control. That means any vertebrate animal that is domesticated or kept under human supervision—whether as a pet, in a laboratory, in a zoo, or in some other setting where people oversee its welfare—falls under the Act’s protections. So the best choice is the description that states care or control by humans applies to any vertebrate animal, not just a subset like domesticated animals or lab animals, and not limited to birds or reptiles. Invertebrates aren’t covered by this Act, which is another way the scope is clarified.