SPCA is a founding signatory of the Australia New Zealand Committee for the Care of Animals used in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART) Openness Agreement on Animal Research and Teaching in New Zealand. The Openness Agreement promotes greater transparency in animal-based research and teaching, encourages communication between the public and research and teaching institutions that use animals, and drives continuous improvements in animal care to ensure the highest standards of welfare for animals used in research and teaching.

SPCA advocates for increased transparency for how animals are obtained, held, or used in research, testing, and teaching facilities.

SPCA supports more extensive and transparent checks and reporting from all research, educational, breeding and animal supply facilities. It is important for the public to be able to assess how effectively the harm to animals is weighed against the perceived benefits of research within the approval process, and to see how animal use and welfare harms are reduced. Specifically, SPCA advocates that information be made publicly available including the aims of research that involves animal testing, the procedures and welfare harms involved, and the considerations within the approval process.