Fayetteville Policies and Procedures  701.0 

Animal Care and Use

The following is the policy of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (hereafter referred to as the University) regarding animal care and use. It applies to all research and teaching using live vertebrate animals conducted at the University campus, or by University faculty, staff, or students when acting as representatives of the University at off-campus locations. In addition, it has been adopted by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture for application to all research and teaching using live vertebrate animals conducted at the Agricultural Experiment Station, or by individuals acting as representatives of the Agricultural Experiment Station at off-site locations. This policy does not apply to services provided by the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. In addition, this policy does not apply to research and teaching using human subjects, the oversight of which is the duty of the University Institutional Review Board.

1. The University endorses and supports the responsible use of animals in research and teaching. This Policy on Animal Care and Use is designed to ensure that animal use at the University is conducted in a humane, productive, and responsible fashion. The University acknowledges and accepts responsibility for the care and use of animals in research and teaching, and will make a reasonable effort to ensure that all individuals involved in the care and use of animals understand their individual and collective responsibilities for compliance with the University's Policy on Animal Care and Use as well as all other applicable laws and regulations pertaining to animal care and use.


2. The University endorses and will comply with the following:
   1. All applicable provisions of Public Law 99-198, commonly known as the Animal Welfare Act, its amendments, and the regulations formulated to implement this act (hereafter referred to as the Animal Welfare Act regulations).
   2. U.S. Government Principles for the Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals Used in Testing, Research, and Training.
   3. The Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (hereafter referred to as PHS Policy). The University will maintain an Animal Welfare Assurance, as specified by PHS Policy, with the Office for Laboratory Animal Welfare.
   4. All applicable provisions of other federal and state statutes and regulations relating to animals.


3. The University recognizes the classification of animal use in research and teaching into the following three categories for the purpose of specifying the standards for animal care and use within each category. These three categories and the corresponding standards are:
   
   1. Biomedical research and teaching. This is research and teaching whose goal is to generate or communicate knowledge that will contribute to improving the health and well-being of humans and/or animals not involved in agricultural production. For biomedical research and teaching the University endorses the standards for animal care and use contained within two separate documents. These are 1) the Animal Welfare Act regulations, and 2) the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. It is the policy of the University that each of these documents will apply to those species specified in each document. Anyone conducting biomedical research and teaching with a vertebrate species not covered by these documents should work closely with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and the Animal Welfare Veterinarian (see Items V-VII below) to develop appropriate guidelines for the particular species being studied. Additionally, the University does not allow domestic dogs and cats, or non-human primates to be used for research conducted by University faculty and staff.
   2. Agricultural research and teaching. This is research and teaching whose goal is to generate or communicate knowledge that will contribute to the improvement of commercial food or fiber production from animals. For agricultural research and teaching, the University endorses the standards for animal care and use contained within the Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Agricultural Research and Teaching.
   3. Field research and teaching. This is research and teaching whose goal is to generate or communicate knowledge that will contribute to our understanding of animals living in the wild. This category is limited to the study of animals that are living in the wild. If wild animals are captured and brought into the laboratory for study, all use conducted in the laboratory will be subject to the standards for biomedical research and teaching outlined in Item III-A. For field research and teaching, the University endorses the standards for animal care and use contained within the following documents and any subsequent revisions.
      1. For mammals: Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists for The Use of Wild Mammals In Research, American Society of Mammologists, 2011.
      2. For birds: Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research, The Ornithological Council, Washington, DC, 3rd ed., 2010.
      3. For amphibians and reptiles: Guidelines for the use of live amphibians and reptiles in field research. Joint publication of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, The Herpetologists' League, and Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, 2nd ed., 2004.
      4. For fishes: Guidelines for the use of fishes in field research. Joint publication of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, American Fisheries Society, and American Institute of Fisheries Research Biologists. Fisheries, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 16-23, 1988.
      5. For standards of euthanasia in all categories of research and teaching, the University endorses the following document and any subsequent revisions: AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals: 2013 Edition.
   
   
For the purpose of classification, research and teaching not clearly identifiable as agricultural or field research and teaching will be classified as biomedical research and teaching.


4. The University recognizes the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) as its representative in overseeing, supporting, and regulating animal care and use. The IACUC is charged with monitoring adherence to the Animal Welfare Act regulations, PHS Policy, and the University's Policy on Animal Care and Use, and is empowered to develop the procedures and forms needed to carry out this task. All research or teaching using live vertebrate animals that is covered by the University's Policy on Animal Care and Use, regardless of its purpose or source of funding, must have prior written approval from the IACUC of an Animal Use Protocol submitted by the user for review by the Committee. There is one exception to this policy, which is that specific Animal Use Protocols shall not be required for agricultural teaching applications involving the non-stressful observation of farm animals, demonstration of judging techniques, demonstration of accepted farm management practices, or normal use of farm animals in production. Instead, standard operating procedures detailing such practices and procedures shall be kept on file in the office of Research Compliance and of the Associate Vice President for Agriculture-Research, and shall be incorporated into the Policies and Procedures of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences and the Agricultural Experiment Station.
   
   
5. The IACUC operates in full compliance with PHS Policy and the Animal Welfare Act regulations. It has the following duties, powers, and membership:
   1. It recommends policies and procedures concerning the uses, care, housing, and disposal of vertebrate animals held or used for research, teaching, or other activities.
   2. It reviews at least semi-annually the University's program for humane care and use of animals.
   3. It inspects at least semi-annually all of the University's animal facilities, including satellite facilities, that are involved in biomedical or field research and teaching. Animal facilities that are involved exclusively in agricultural research and teaching are inspected at least semi-annually by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Animal Facilities Committee.
   4. It reviews concerns involving the care and use of animals at the University.
   5. It makes written recommendations to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the Associate Vice President for Agriculture-Research regarding any aspect of the University's animal program, facilities, or personnel training with the report to include violations, deficiencies, and deviations from approved practices.
   6. It notifies, through the appropriate institutional official (the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the Associate Vice President for Agriculture-Research), the Office for Laboratory Animal Welfare and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, as well as the funding agency, if deficiencies exist after ample time for correction.
   7. It reviews and approves, requires modifications in (to secure approval), or withholds approval of Animal Use Protocols.
   8. It reviews and approves, requires modifications in (to secure approval), or withholds approval of proposed significant changes regarding the use of animals in ongoing activities.
   9. It notifies investigators and the University in writing of its decision to approve or withhold approval of Animal Use Protocols, or of modifications required to secure IACUC approval.
   10. It inspects, at its discretion, facilities at which an Animal Use Protocol is being conducted.
   11. It is authorized to suspend an activity involving animals.
   12. Members are appointed by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Membership consists of at least the following:
       
       • One representative nominated by the dean from each of the colleges utilizing vertebrate animals for research or teaching.
       • One representative nominated by the Associate Vice President for Agriculture-Research
       • One representative nominated by the Committee on Committees from the zoology program in the Department of Biological Sciences.
       • One representative from the Department of Animal Science or the Department of Poultry Science.
       • One representative from a department in an area other than the biological sciences (a non-animal user).
       • One representative from the surrounding community who is not a member of the immediate family of anyone affiliated with the University.
       • One student representative who is a doctoral degree candidate in one of the disciplines affected by the committee work.
       • The Animal Welfare Veterinarian.
       • Ex officio and non-voting, the Director of Research Compliance or his/her designee.
       • Ex officio and non-voting, the Central Laboratory Animal Facility Manager who will serve as Program Manager for the IACUC.

Nominations from the deans will be made after discussion with the chair of the Committee on Committees. The non-animal user faculty representative and the community representative will be appointed by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs after consultation with the Associate Vice President for Agriculture-Research. At least one member of the committee must hold a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Not more than three members shall be from the same administrative unit at the departmental level of the University. The Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, after consultation with the Associate Vice President for Agriculture-Research, will designate a chairperson from the members.


6. The Animal Welfare Veterinarian shall be appointed by the Director of Research Compliance.  On matters relating to animal welfare the Animal Welfare Veterinarian shall normally report to the Director of Research Compliance, but shall have the authority to report directly to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the Associate Vice President for Agriculture-Research if circumstances warrant. The Animal Welfare Veterinarian serves as a voting member of the IACUC, provides veterinary care to laboratory animals housed within the Central Laboratory Animal Facility as recommended in the NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, is available to consult with researchers as they develop research methods, and is generally available to the research community of the University, including the Division of Agriculture, to provide training to investigators as needed in the areas of proper animal handling, use of anesthetic agents and analgesics, acceptable methods of euthanasia, and oversight of surgical procedures.
   
   
7. Anyone having a concern that the University's Policy on Animal Care and Use is being violated should report his/her concern to the chair of the IACUC. An investigation will then be made by the chair of the IACUC or other members of the IACUC appointed by the chair. If deficiencies in animal care and use are observed, the IACUC will take the necessary steps to ensure compliance with University policy.
   
   
8. An occupational health program will be provided by the University, in accordance with its OLAW Assurance, for personnel who work in animal facilities or have substantial animal contact, including contact with animal tissues if there is a potential health risk. Instructors, principal investigators, facility managers, and supervisors will be expected to document compliance and assist with the risk assessment associated with their various projects.

Revised October 13, 2014
Reformatted for Web October 9, 2014
Revised February 28, 2004
April 11, 1996