IACUC Policy 007: Animal Ordering and Tracking

1. Purpose: The objective of the Animal Ordering and Tracking policy is to ensure that all animal transfers are handled in accordance with Ohio University requirements.  This will help ensure that the health of the animals is maintained, and the location of all animals is easily tracked. 

2. Scope: All live vertebrate animals used for research, teaching, or testing at Ohio University must be procured through Laboratory Animal Resources.  This includes both wild caught and domestic animals.  All animals that will be housed in LAR animal research facilities must be imported into the facilities under the supervision, assistance, and approval of the LAR Director and Attending Veterinarian.  An active, approved IACUC protocol must be in place to procure commercially produced animals through LAR, or to import animals from other sources.  Animals purchased from commercial vendors, and animals transferred from other institutions will be handled using the same tracking process. 

3. Policy:

• All animals produced within Ohio University breeding colonies will be tracked by the Primary Investigator (or PI’s staff) of the IACUC protocol being used.  Animals will be counted within one week of birth and added to the official protocol census sheets maintained on the animal facility doors.
• All animals transferred onto an IACUC approved protocol from another OU IACUC protocol will be tracked by the primary investigator (or PI’s staff).  Animals will be added to the official protocol census sheets maintained on the animal facility doors.  It will be the responsibility of the PI (or PIs if different investigators hold the protocols) to ensure that the protocol census sheets are marked correctly with the animals being logged off of one protocol and onto another.
• All animals transferred to other institutions must be exported under the supervision, assistance, and approval of the LAR Director and Attending Veterinarian.  Health status, veterinary reports, and LAR facility information must be transferred to the other institution by the LAR Director or the Attending Veterinarian.  Additional requirements, such as Material Transfer Agreements may need to be completed before a transfer is approved.
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