Animal Program: Handling and Treatment of Animals

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Policy Number:
UW-4119
Old Policy Number:
2003-023-io
Responsible Office:
Research Animal Resources and Compliance

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

The following policy provides detail as to what is considered animal mistreatment. This policy is in addition to the University of Wisconsin System Work Rules for Unclassified and Classified Employees.

Policy:
  1. Certain behaviors or actions by an individual towards animals are unacceptable and require immediate action to be taken in addition to the normal disciplinary steps required by the university. Consequences could include immediate denial of access to animals or other immediate remedial action.

    Note: Violation of this policy is also a violation of Work Rule 1A (Insubordination, including disobedience or failure to carry out assignments or instructions.)

  2. Unacceptable behaviors/actions include but are not limited to:
    1. Mistreatment of an animal. This includes any action, physical or psychological, which results in wrongful or abusive treatment causing distress (as demonstrated by species-specific physiological responses) to an animal. Examples include but are not limited to:
      1. Deliberately injuring or neglecting an animal.
      2. Teasing, taunting, or deliberately scaring an animal.
      3. Unnecessarily shaking a box of rodents.
      4. Unnecessarily tapping a cage of mice to see them run or make them squeal.
      5. Unnecessarily staring directly at a macaque.
      6. Purposefully spraying a macaque with water from a hose.
      7. Use of unnecessary force.
      8. Purposeful deviation from protocol to create animal discomfort.
    2. Knowingly introducing disease into an animal colony.
    3. Purposeful disregard for facility standard operating procedures (SOPs) and/or policies related to the health and welfare of the animal colony.
    4. Knowingly falsifying data, e.g., temperature/humidity readings, health check records, medical records, room check records, feeding schedules, cage cleaning logs.
    5. Refusal to participate in required training sessions designed to ensure humane treatment of animals.
    6. Refusal to participate in required training sessions designed to ensure workplace health and safety for staff involved in animal care duties.
  3. Reporting and investigating incidents of animal mistreatment:
    1. Incidents of unacceptable treatment/behavior may be reported with no risk of reprisal as detailed in the all-campus Whistle Blower Policy and Posting
    2. All incidents of observed or suspected animal mistreatment will be investigated by the relevant school or college Animal Care and Use Committee. On the behalf of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), the chair may delegate the investigative process to a subcommittee of the IACUC or any other individual(s) that the chair believes appropriate to conduct the investigation. In cases of delegation, the IACUC still maintains the responsibility to ensure that the investigation is conducted in an appropriate and legal manner. All investigations and actions involved with issues of animal mistreatment shall be conducted in accordance with appropriate federal, state, and university legal and policy standards. The IACUC will seek out expertise (e.g., Human Resources, Legal Affairs) to ensure investigations and actions are properly conducted.
    3. See also UW-4113 Animal Program: Protocol Noncompliance. 
Related UW-Madison Policies:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Associate Vice Chancellor of Research Policy and Compliance
Policy Manager:
Associate Vice Chancellor of Research Policy and Compliance
Contact:
IACUC Administrator -- IACUC Administrator, iacuc_administrator@rarc.wisc.edu, (608) 262-1238
Effective Date:
08-27-2003
Date Issued:
08-27-2003
Revised Dates:

02-01-2004, 09-01-2008, 10-12-2021

Reviewed Dates:

08-01-2017, 10-12-2021

Retrieved:
04-18-2024 07:05:51