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Animal transfer and re-use standards
The following types of transfers between protocols do not need veterinary review:
- Transfers that have already been approved by the ACUC via the protocol review process
- Healthy experimentally naive animals
- Rodents previously used only for breeding (with no invasive procedures performed)**
- Animals transferred from one approved protocol to another approved protocol for the purpose of immediate euthanasia by an approved method
If an animal has been used for any experimental procedure, it may be transferred from one protocol to another with the permission of the attending veterinarian or their designee. A written record of the transfer and any supporting documentation must be kept for all USDA covered species, preferably in the animal's clinical record. This record must include:
- date
- original protocol number
- receiving protocol number.
- name of the person approving the transfer
In no case may a veterinarian or an ACUC unilaterally approve a transfer that would involve an animal having multiple major survival surgeries across protocols. This would require special USDA approval.
** Tail tipping is not considered invasive