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Reminder - UACC Policy on Taking and Sharing Images of Animals in Science

With the increase in summer students in labs, the University Animal Care Committee would like to remind everyone of the importance of respecting UACC policies including the Policy on Taking and Sharing Images of Animals in Science as well as the Policy on Visitors within Animal Facilities. Please review these policies with your lab. 

Summer Schedule & Meeting Deadlines

Subcommittee reviews include renewals, amendments and protocol revisions (not identified for full UACC). These are processed in real time as no meeting is required for their approval. While the Subcommittee aims for quick turn around times, please know that processing times have recently been longer than normal. Especially in the summer, delays are likely while balancing vacation schedules. If you have an urgent request, you should reach out to the  UACC Coordinator directly to discuss.

New and full resubmission protocols should be submitted at least 6 weeks in advance of the committee meeting. This timeframe is recommended to allow a preliminary review and return for revision prior to going to committee. It is not uncommon for protocols to be returned for further modification following UACC review (sometimes needing to return to a full meeting). The UACC only meets monthly therefore deadlines must be considered.
 
In the summer, the UACC does not meet in August and PIs are encouraged to consider this when submitting protocols. Please note the submission deadline for June review is June 12th and for July is July 10th.

Review the UACC meeting schedule.

UACC Seeking Community Member

The UACC is seeking an additional community representative. Community representatives can have any background as long as they have never worked with animals in science, are not affiliated in any way with the institution, and do not have any conflict of interest that would compromise their role.
 
Additional information can be found in the   (PDF 1.5 KB). Please contact the  UACC Coordinator if you know someone who might be interested in this opportunity.

Predicting and Tracking Mortality

An event that leads to the unanticipated death of research, teaching or testing animals, or poses an immediate and significant threat to animal health or welfare may need to be reported to the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) as a Reportable Animal Welfare Incident (RAWI).
 
The animal use protocol (AUP) must indicate expected mortality associated to models (whether procedural, model or phenotypically driven) and report observed morbidity/mortality to the University Veterinarian at the time it occurs (rather than waiting for the renewal). This helps to promptly flag morbidity/mortality (animals euthanized at humane intervention points and animals found dead) that has reached a greater degree than anticipated. Morbidity/mortality >20% of the predicted baseline of the total number of animals per specific project component and on-site at the time of the incident are classified as RAWIs. RAWIs must be reported by the University Veterinarian to the CCAC within 14 days of occurrence. Failure to comply could result in serious non-compliance consequences with the CCAC.
 
Please ensure that all AUPs include predictions of anticipated mortality and consider building appropriate buffers into the requested authorized numbers (justification of animal numbers) to allow for contingency (generally based on published literature and experience with the model).

Revised UACC Policies

The following revised policies are now available on the UACC & Institutional Policies page of the Animals in Science website:
 

• Policy on the Testing of Research Biologics for Pathogens
• Policy on Wildlife Permits
• Policy on Activities Involving Live Animals - Including Demonstration
• Policy on Confidentiality & Member Agreement
• Policy on Animal User Training
• Policy on Recovery Surgery Scheduling

New & Revised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

A number of SOPs have undergone their triennial review. Please reference the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) page for current versions of rodent SOP's. SOP’s for other species are hosted on SharePoint. For access, please contact the  Quality Assurance and Training Coordinator.
 

• 7.5.5 Euthanasia Method for Rodent Neonates and Fetuses (Mice)​
• 7.25 - Estrus Cycle Monitoring in Mice
• 10.5.5 - Euthanasia Method for Rodent Neonates and Fetuses
• 10.25 - Estrus Cycle Monitoring in Rats
• 7.31 - Tamoxifen Administration (Mice) *NEW
• 7.32 - Humane Endpoints in Mice with Cecal Ligation and Puncture-Induced Sepsis *NEW

Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) Updates