University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
DIVISION OF ANIMAL RESOURCES and
AGRICULTURAL ANIMAL CARE AND USE PROGRAM

Section 11

Procurement, Transfer, and Transport of Laboratory and Agricultural Animals

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) has established specific policies for procurement of all vertebrate animals to be used for teaching, testing or research.

• Animals may not be obtained prior to approval of an animal use protocol that describes the intended use of that animal.

• The DAR must be notified in advance, via an Animal Request Form, of procurements of animals from off-campus sources.

• The AACUP office must be notified in advance, via an Animal Requisition Form, for procurements of animals to be housed at the Large Animal Clinic (LAC), Veterinary Medicine Research Farm (VMRF) or Surgery and Obstetrics Laboratory at the College of Veterinary Medicine (SOL).

• Production herds are maintained at the College of ACES livestock research and teaching units, the Veterinary Medicine Research Farm and the Dixon Springs Agricultural Center. Animals may be procured into the production herds through communication with the appropriate farm manager.

• The DAR office, the AACUP office, or the appropriate farm manager will approve procurements based on vendor, number and type of animals requested, and protocol approval.

• Animal orders should be placed by the appropriate staff member after receipt of approved requisition documentation.

• Laboratory animal production, e.g., in breeding programs, also must be covered under an approved protocol, when laboratory animals are either born or weaned an Animal Request Form must be submitted and approved prior to the transfer of animals to another protocol or investigator for research, teaching or testing.

• Two policies describing requirements for procurement, including import of rodents from non-campus sources, are posted at http://www.iacuc.uiuc.edu/policies/procurement.html and http://www.iacuc.uiuc.edu/policies/rodent_import.html.

Investigators may, in some cases, desire to transfer animals between approved animal protocols, between campus animal care units or ship animals off campus to another investigator.

• Transfers of animals between approved protocols are treated as an animal procurement and must comply with the procedures detailed above.

• The DAR/AACUP veterinary staff will determine, prior to approving an animal transfer from one animal care unit to another, what procedures (e.g., quarantine, serology testing) must be followed to minimize the likelihood of disease transmission from one animal care unit to another.

• Investigators who wish to transport or ship animals off campus must contact the respective DAR or AACUP office or appropriate farm manager first to make arrangements.

• In some cases, such as for transfer or transport of transgenic animals, the Division of Research and Safety (DRS) must be notified.

• Health reports and/or certificates may need to be provided prior to the shipment of animals to another institution.

• All animal transport must be done in accordance with Animal Welfare Act regulations and with consideration for the animal's health and well being.

• Transportation requirements for livestock species are detailed in the approved herd health plans for each agriculture unit.

last updated: February 16, 2006