Each year the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) holds an Animal Welfare Forum. The papers presented at this annual event are published in the Journal of the AVMA and are collectively reprinted as a ‘proceedings of the meeting’. In 1994 the Forum met in Rosemont, Illinois and the subject was Veterinary Perspectives on the Use of Animals in Research. The following seven papers were given and are now published, together with a brief Opening remarks’ by the then President Elect of the AVMA in the February 15th issue of the AVMA journal.