University of Wisconsin-Madison

Who Sees that Our Animal Care Obligations are Met?

USDA

• enforces the AWA
• VMOs from USDA are required to conduct unannounced inspections of research facilities at least yearly (but could be more often) to:
  • review minutes from IACUC meetings
  • review active protocols
  • inspect animal and surgical facilities (including labs where procedures take place)
    • basic husbandry
    • caging
    • environmental enrichment
    • transportation of animals
    • acquisition and identification of animals
    • drugs used in research animals
  • review records of animal care
    • date of animal acquisition
    • nonprotocol related health problems (treatment and resolution)
    • date and method of animal disposition
    • intra- and post-operative surgical records
      • description of procedure
      • surgeon and anesthetist
      • anesthetic used
      • duration of procedure
      • anesthetic recovery monitoring
      • analgesics and other drugs used
      • daily progress reports of animal, including suture removal
  • assess adequacy of training programs for personnel using animals
• requires annual report from UW to REAC including:
  • where animals are housed
  • assurances that professionally acceptable standards are used for animals
  • assurances that alternatives to painful procedures have been considered
  • assurances that all animal research has IACUC approval
  • assurances that Animal Welfare Regulations (AWRs) are followed
  • numbers of animals bred for use in research, testing, and teaching
  • numbers of animals used by pain/distress category
• violations can lead to fines, civil or criminal prosecution, or suspension of research activities (for an individual or University of Wisconsin-Madison)
• links to all the USDA policies, which cover subjects ranging from veterinary care to necropsy requirements to IACUC membership requirements, are available online at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/polmanpdf.html

PHS/OLAW

• enforces the Health Research Extension Act
• inspections are unannounced and random, or can be the result of an internal or external complaint (including from USDA)
• inspections review all aspects of animal care and use, as detailed in the Guide
• requires an assurance statement on file with OLAW which:
  • commits UW-Madison to compliance with the AWA, the PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (full text found at: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/phspol.htm), and the Guide
  • completely describes the program of animal care and use at UW, including facilities, personnel, training programs, chain of command at UW-Madison, IACUC membership and policies
• requires an annual report to OLAW by the IACUC through the Institutional Official which includes:
  • changes in UW-Madison's programs, facilities, or animal care and use programs
  • changes in IACUC membership
  • dates of semiannual IACUC evaluations
• requires prompt notification and full explanation of any serious or continuing non-compliance with PHS policy or the Guide
• requires notification of any suspension of activity by the IACUC
• NIH (through OLAW) can withdraw funding from individual projects or all of UW-Madison for acts of non-compliance. If all UW funding is withdrawn, it could involve both animal- and non-animal-related funds.

The IACUC

• existence is mandated by AWA and OLAW
• at UW-Madison, members are nominated by the deans of their respective colleges, and appointed by the Chancellor of the University
• by law, the membership must include:
  • a non-scientist
  • a veterinarian
  • a scientist
  • an individual NOT affiliated with the University except as a member of the committee
• UW-Madison, since it is so large, has five independent IACUCs (usually referred to as ACUCs here), one for each animal unit:
  • School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM)
  • Graduate School
  • Medical School
  • College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS)
  • College of Letters and Science (L&S)
• the All Campus Animal Care and Use Committee (ACACUC) is composed of the chairs of the individual ACUCs, a member external to the UW, a University lawyer, the Director of RARC, and the Associate Dean of the Graduate School, who serves as chair. The ACACUC serves to set campus policy.
• committee membership (all ACUCs) and campus policies are detailed in Appendix
• ACUC responsibilities
  • review all Animal Care and Use Protocols, and their subsequent updates and amendments. The ACUC can
  • approve
  • require modifications to secure approval
  • withhold approval
  • suspend a previously approved activity for cause
  • perform inspections of all animal care facilities, including animal labs at least once every 6 months
  • prepare and approve a written inspection report
  • submit report to institutional official
  • review the program of animal care and use for their unit
  • at least once every 6 months
  • prepare and approve a written report of the program review
  • submit report to institutional official
  • make recommendations to the ACACUC regarding animal programs, facilities, or personnel training
  • review and investigate concerns involving the care and use of animals at the research facility. These concerns may originate from within or external to the university ("whistle-blowers")

RARC

• provides administrative support for all IACUC functions for the 5 committees
  • maintains protocol files and minutes of ACUC meetings
  • maintains animal user certification records
  • coordinates semi-annual facility inspections and program reviews
• coordinates veterinary care for research animals on campus
  • Chief Campus Veterinarian oversees adequacy of animal care
  • primary clinical care of research animals
  • health monitoring of rodent and rabbit facilities
  • preventive medicine programs
  • environmental monitoring (i.e., cage washers)
• provides training for research personnel using animals (see Appendix for classes offered)
• serves as an information resource for the care and use of animals in research
• provides research support in the form of
  • trained personnel (certified animal care technicians)
  • equipment (i.e., gas anesthesia machines, bead sterilizers)
  • diagnostic laboratory (full clinical and pathology capability)
  • a library focused on animal care and research topics
• provides central administration for all regulatory functions regarding the use of animals in research
• does NOT set policy, nor "make the rules"
• does NOT approve, defer, or disapprove animal use protocols
• RARC veterinarians and staff, classes offered, and stuff to borrow are listed in the Appendix
• RARC website is: http://www.rarc.wisc.edu

RARC Laboratories

• provides diagnostic and consultative support to research and teaching with a clinical lab and a pathology lab (see Appendix for complete description and price list)

Attending Veterinarian

• mandated by USDA regulations and PHS policy
• must be a voting member of the IACUC
• has special training or experience in care of animals used in research; often American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) board-certified or eligible
• has the authority and responsibility to ensure the provision of adequate veterinary care for animals used in research
• ensures adequate daily husbandry
• is a good information resource for alternative techniques, models, or species for research
• often has research training as well as laboratory animal training
• should be involved in the developmental stages of an animal use protocol, especially one involving surgery or other invasive procedures
• Attending Veterinarians for each animal care unit are listed in the Appendix
• a good description of the responsibilities of an Attending Veterinarian can be found at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/researchmanual/15-2ATTE.PDF

AAALAC International (Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International)

• voluntary accreditation organization to ensure the highest standards of animal care and use
• 3 of the 5 animal care units at UW-Madison are accredited
  • School of Veterinary Medicine
  • Graduate School
  • Medical School
• accredited units are evaluated by AAALAC site visitors once every three years, using standards set by the Guide
• AAALAC accreditation is like the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" for animal facilities
• some granting agencies want to know if animals are housed in AAALAC-accredited facilities
• the AAALAC website is: http://www.aaalac.org

You

• anybody who has a question or a concern about animal welfare and care at UW-Madison can express those concerns
• your ACUC is required by law (the Animal Welfare Act, the Guide) to review and investigate concerns about the care and use of animals. The ACUC is authorized to suspend any research activity if warranted
• questions or concerns can be conveyed to:
  • your supervisor or the research investigator in charge of the animals
  • the Chair of the Animal Care and Use Committee for your school or college
  • RARC personnel
• a notice approved by the All Campus ACUC, containing names and phone numbers of persons to contact if you have questions or concerns, is posted in animal facilities. A copy of the notice can be found in the Appendix