Transportation Policy
TRANSPORTATION OF RESEARCH ANIMALS TRANSPORT OF ANIMALS OUTSIDE THE CENTRAL ANIMAL CARE FACILITY (ACF)
- Transport of any animal outside the central ACF must first be approved by the IACUC and described in an IACUC-approved Protocol (or Amendment if transportation becomes necessary following approval of the original protocol).
- Transporting animals without proper approval by the IACUC is a violation of University policy and will be reported and/or documented as an incident of non-compliance.
- The IACUC or its designee will inspect the site where animals will be transported and/or held, and any vehicle, cage, or equipment proposed in the transportation request.
- Personnel responsible for transporting animals must complete specialized training with the ACF Manager.
- Before each instance of animal transport, investigators must "check-out" the animals by entering the transport into the Log Book located in the ACF Manager's office. The Log Book requires the name of the person transporting the animals, the IACUC-approved protocol number, the species, number of animals, date, time, and list of any equipment being borrowed to transport the animals (cages, carts, etc.).
- Weekend/Holiday Transports - Investigators planning to transport animals over a weekend or holiday must notify the ACF Manager in advance during regular business hours, in addition to following the check-out procedure detailed above. For instance, if transport is planned on a Saturday, notification should be made to the ACF Manager the week before, including the species and number of animals that will be transported. Animals planned for transport during weekends/holidays may be separated, tagged, or placed in a holding area by the ACF Manager.
Logistics of animal transportation will be reviewed and approved by the IACUC. This includes consideration of such criteria as:
- Appropriate caging, containment, and method to prevent public visibility.
- Method of transport (cart, vehicle, etc.), route, and times of transportation.
- Care of animals at the new site.
Animals must be transported in cages with a secure micro-isolator top to reduce potential exposure of animal allergens to other researchers/staff. The animals must be transported on a cart; hand-carrying cages is not allowed. Dropping a cage with an animal will result in a high level of stress to the animal and possible physical harm. In addition, the cost for animal cages is high - any cage that is damaged through improper use and transportation will be charged to the PI for replacement.