Policy on Oversight of non-RAR managed animal holding facilities.

Reviewed and approved by the University of Minnesota Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at its November 6, 2001 Program Review Meeting.

Investigators housing or holding vertebrate animals outside of Research Animal Resources facilities on the Twin Cities campuses*, must comply with the following policies which are designed to ensure consistency in animal care practices and compliance with federal regulations and accreditation agency policies.

1. Justification for non-RAR housing must be submitted to the IACUC with every protocol that covers those animals. Appendix D of each relevant Animal Usage Form "Housing Outside Primary Housing Areas (more than 12 hours)" must be completed.

2. RAR veterinary staff must be consulted and informed of any animal health issues as they arise. (Call 612-624-9100).

3. The housing and husbandry procedures must comply with USDA Animal Welfare Act regulations [http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/awr.shtml] and the National Academy of Sciences' Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals [http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/labrats/]. Specific requirements to note are the need to observe the animals and the environmental conditions at least once every 24 hours, including weekends and holidays.

4. RAR staff, ORA staff and/or IACUC members will visit each approved site at approximately monthly intervals to review animal health and identification, facility maintenance and housekeeping, etc. There will be an associated service fee of a minimum of one hour of technical time [Per Diem Rates].

5. Facilities with continuous animal housing (as opposed to intermittent and/or short-term) are required to participate in annual monitoring of airflow and temperature/humidity for which there will be an associated service fee.

6. Facilities that perform cagewashing outside of RAR are required to participate in quarterly microbiological monitoring of sanitation efficacy for which there will be an associated service fee.

7. Facilities that keep animals outside of RAR facilities but utilize RAR cages, feed, bedding, and/or accessories will be billed for those items.

8. Ongoing or significant deficiencies will be reported to the IACUC.

*Excluding COAFES facilities, CBS teaching/display facilities, aquaculture facilities, and wildlife research facilities and sites.

Legend:

RAR = Research Animal Resources
ORA = Office of Regulatory Affairs
IACUC = Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
USDA = United Stated Department of Agriculture
COAFES = College of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences
CBS = College of Biological Sciences

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