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Preface The international symposium on «The Contribution of Laboratory Animal Science to the Welfare of Man and Animals: Past, Present and Future», held in Vancouver, Canada July 31-August5, 1983, was the VHIth ICLAS Symposium. It was gracously hosted by the Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Science (CALAS), who contributed significantly to its success. The response of the international scientific community to the programs presented, was gratifying. The terms «Animal Liberation", «Animal Rights» and «Speciesism» are commonly used to indicate certain individuals' wish to prohibit man's use of animals in research. However, as we will learn from the Proceedings, animals themselves have often been the beneficiaries of research that has involved their own species as well as others. While these animals are not guilty of speciesism, their welfare and well-being has improved as a result of such research. As with their human counterparts, those animals that have been used must be considered as contributors. Fortuitously, significant advances in the treatment and prevention of both human and animal disease have resulted from scientific study, for without research, we will not reach the objective of the World Health Organization of «Health for All by the Year 2000»… Our use of animals cannot be approached on merely a sentimental basis. It should be recognized that an animal is not a human being. Although it has its own dignity, its own way of life, its own behavioural patterns, it cannot be equated with man. We must accept that we live in a imperfect society; therefore, we should not be surprised when errors committed by human beings cause unnecessary suffering or waste. Our objective and responsibility to the animal in research is to ensure the reduction to a minimum of such problems. This is the purpose of this publication…