Purchasing Procedures and Animal Ordering

General Information

Animal Housing

Charge Authorization and Billing

Source of Research Animals

Per Diem Charges

Quarantine and Stabilization of Animals

General Information on Purchasing Procedures and Animal Ordering

All requests for research animals to be delivered to the School of Medicine or School of Pharmacy must be placed through Veterinary Resources. This arrangement is necessary, in part, to assure that the proper housing is available and to assist investigators in obtaining healthy animals at reasonable costs from safe, dependable sources. All arrangements for the acquisition, transportation and receipt of animals are handled by Veterinary Resources (even if animals are no cost).

All animal-based research requires prior approval by the relevant Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). To assure this, all investigators will provide a current protocol number to Veterinary Resources at the time an order is placed. Investigators must make sure that the protocol number used is correct for the procedure and species to be used.

Animal Request Forms may be obtained from the administrative offices, Room G-100, MSTF.

The procedure for ordering animals has been developed with the UM,B Division of Procurement and Supply to minimize delay and paperwork for investigators. Animal orders will be placed in the following manner:

1. An Animal Request form will be completed by the investigator and forwarded to Veterinary Resources. Be sure to have complete information on type, source, and numbers of animals, and the number of the protocol approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Also, be sure to complete the required USDA information.

2. A eUMB financial account number and an authorized signature are required before an order can be placed.

Purchase requests must be received by Veterinary Resources by noon on the Thursday prior to the week delivery is desired to ensure the vendor can supply the number and type of animals requested, and to ensure that Veterinary Resources has the proper housing available.

An additional order fee will be charged for orders received after 12:00 noon if delivery is desired for the following week.

Federal Law (Animal Welfare Act) requires the University to annually report the numbers of animals used in research according to the following categories:

* Number of animals to be used with appropriate anesthetic, analgesic, or tranquilizer administered to avoid pain or distress

* Number of animals to be used involving pain or distress without the administration of anesthesia, analgesics, or tranquilizers (requires specific justification and approval)

Please be accurate in the reporting of these numbers on the Animal Request Form.

The animal suppliers will be telephoned by Veterinary Resources and arrangements will be made for delivery. Any unusual problems with orders will be transmitted back to the investigator. Investigators will be billed a nominal fee to offset the cost of long-distance phone calls and the facsimile machine for each order placed.

The Animal Request Form used by Veterinary Resources consists of four copies. Keep the pink copy for your records and return the other copies to Veterinary Resources.

The animals are delivered to the facility designated on the request form. Housing for the animals is assigned after the animals have been checked for accuracy of species and type and examined to ensure they are in good condition. Animals arriving without a Veterinary Resources purchase order number will not be accepted or allowed to enter the facility.

The majority of animals ordered by investigators are housed where the investigator requests and are received when requested. Unless you are contacted by Veterinary Resources, you may assume your animals have arrived and are being housed. The simplest way for an investigator to determine whether the animals have arrived is to visit the appropriate facility.

Investigators are encouraged to use the comments section of the animal purchase request form to provide any pertinent information. This is especially helpful when ordering pregnant animals or litters, or for animals with special requirements prior to delivery.

It is to an investigator's advantage to allow as much time as possible for vendors to supply an order. Veterinary Resources will make every effort to comply with the requests of investigators but cannot be responsible for "last minute" orders that vendors are unable to supply.

ANIMAL HOUSING

The following areas are used for the housing of research animals. All species cannot be housed in every area. The housing areas are:

The facility selected for housing animals will generally be the most convenient to the investigators' laboratories, and consistent with available space, PHS requirements regarding species separation, and with other needs of the investigator.

All investigators who house animals in the School of Medicine must have a primary School of Medicine Faculty appointment.

All School of Medicine faculty with laboratories in the School of Medicine must house their research animals in the School of Medicine animal facilities.

Access to the animal housing facilities for investigators and their staff can be granted only after a University access card I.D. badge has been obtained from the Campus Police. See your administrative staff or the Campus Police to obtain a badge.

Once an approved I.D. badge has been obtained, a memorandum on the investigator's department stationery should be sent/delivered to Veterinary Resources, Rm. G-100 of the MSTF building. The memorandum should contain the following information:

The Campus Police can update the card access system within 24 hours of a request from Veterinary Resources. The simplest way to determine whether access has been granted is to try the card reader.

Investigators are granted access only to one location (e.g., MSTF or BRB/HH) to help prevent the transmission of adventitious pathogens between facilities.

Unauthorized persons (including visitors, friends, and children) are not permitted in the facilities without the approval of Veterinary Resources. Veterinary Resources veterinary staff and professional colleagues, such as site visitors accompanying the veterinary staff, have unrestricted access to all areas of the UM,B campus where animals are held.

We are required by AAALAC to house all amphibians within our centralized facilities.

Sites for housing of fish outside the centralized facilities must meet minimum standards. In general these areas must conform to the guidelines written by the Canadian Council on Animal Care as such guidelines are recognized by AAALAC. The guidelines include monitoring of water quality, appropriate husbandry and handling practices, and appropriate use of anesthetic and euthanasia methods for various species.

Written standard operating procedures, prepared by the investigator, should be available in all fish holding areas. Records of water monitoring, treatments, and husbandry procedures should also be maintained.

If animals will be housed for more than 24 hours outside of the animal facility, the area must be formally approved as a satellite area. This will require adequate justification and approval by the IACUC.