Animal Transfer, Imports, and Exports

To initiate a campus animal transfer, import, or export please submit your request online: https://ahw.wisc.edu/

RARC Transfers Office

To protect the health status of our biomedical research facilities and ensure animals are transferred between campus vivaria and protocols appropriately, most facilities require approval in advance by the RARC Transfers Office.

Researchers are not permitted to coordinate protocol transfers independently, without prior veterinary approval.

For assistance, contact facility managers, RARC veterinarians, or the RARC Transfers Coordinator with questions.

Approved Animal Protocol

Your protocol must be approved for the housing or lab location and source or disposition you are requesting. Amendments of this type can generally be quickly processed via the Veterinary Verification and Consultation (VVC) process. For assistance, contact an RARC veterinarian or IACUC office staff: iacuc@rarc.wisc.edu

Campus Transfers

Select Create Transfer Request at https://ahw.wisc.edu/

If you are requesting a protocol transfer and animals are staying housed in the same location, or if you are transporting animals yourself and have protocol approval to do so, please submit your request at least three business days prior to the transfer date.

If you are requesting campus transportation assistance, please submit your request at least eight business days prior to the transport date. Some campus transportation services require at least one week notice and approval by the RARC Transfers Office first.

Transportation must be carried out by facility-dedicated transport staff or by other IACUC-approved means. See Policy UW-4099, Campus Transportation of Laboratory Animals.

Exception: If approved in your protocol, animals may be moved from animal housing to procedure rooms within or outside the animal facility and returned to housing rooms without prior approval from the RARC Transfers Office.

Please note: Animals cannot be returned to SPF Level 1 facilities once they have left the vivarium. For SPF Level 2 or 3 facilities, always check with your individual facility, RARC Veterinarian, and/or facility managers to determine if animals that leave the vivarium can return to their normal housing rooms.

SVM only: For animals coming to SVM facilities or moving from one SVM facility to another, you must also complete the Animal Procurement Form and email it to arm@vetmed.wisc.edu. Please contact SVM facility management with questions.

Imports and Exports (non-approved vendors, outside institutions)

Most animal imports and exports will require a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) or Simple Letter of Agreement for the animals. Please contact Research and Sponsored Programs prior to submitting your animal import/export request on the Animal Transfers Portal. Import and export processing on average takes two to four weeks prior to shipping; it may take longer if additional pathogen testing is required.

• Exports - Select Create Export Request at https://ahw.wisc.edu/
  
  After receiving your export request, the RARC Transfers Coordinator will contact the receiving institution with any needed health/facility reports and assist your lab with the export process. Once the MTA is finalized, if required, and we have approval to ship from the outside institution, the Transfers Coordinator will provide all necessary shipping paperwork and may provide gel packs (water source), where applicable. Obtain autoclaved shipping crates from your facility manager. Your lab or facility designee will pack the animals and meet the shipping courier at a predetermined date/time. Labs are responsible for any costs incurred to export animals. Please refer to the instructions for preparing and packing rodents for export to remain compliant with shipping expectations.

• Imports - Select Create Import Request at https://ahw.wisc.edu/

After receiving your import request, the RARC Transfers Coordinator will contact the shipping institution to obtain needed health/facility reports and assist your lab with the import process. Once the MTA is finalized, if required, and the Transfers Coordinator has received approval by an RARC Veterinarian to import the animals, all final shipping details will be provided to the sending institution. Labs are responsible for any costs incurred to import animals.

Note: Most rodents being imported to the University of Wisconsin-Madison from non-approved vendor sources require quarantine.

Weather Guidelines for Imports and Exports

We are typically unable to import or export live animals during the months of January, February, July, and August. Couriers will not ship animals when the ambient temperature is predicted to be below 35F or above 85F at the sending and receiving locations, including any airline transfers along the way. Note some carriers may have more stringent temperature guidelines.

Shipments may be delayed or canceled due to weather or flight variations at any time.

Couriers providing climate-controlled vehicles for direct-drive shipments may be available for some routes. Please contact transfers@ahw.wisc.edu for more information.