Animal Care Policies

Methods of euthanizing animals assigned to IACUC protocols must follow the most recently published AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals whenever possible.

This policy defines the circumstances and procedures by which University-owned dogs, cats, and horses no longer needed for University research or teaching (collectively “Research Animals”) may be offered for adoption as pets.

Anesthesia machines and vaporizers must be inspected, recalibrated if necessary, and recertified annually to ensure high-quality anesthesia to research and teaching animals, and waste anesthetic gas (WAG) must be scavenged with equipment in good working condition to provide a safe working environment for personnel.

Access to animal facilities managed by the Animal Care Program (ACP-LAB, formerly DAR) requires authorization from ACP-LAB management.

Photographs or filming of animals and animal housing or procedural space within the DAR laboratory animal facilities must have prior approval from DAR veterinarians.

Access to the animal facilities is restricted to animal care staff and research personnel that are included on an IACUC-approved protocol due to security and biosecurity concerns.

Animal housing will follow the recommendations in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (8th edition or more current) or the Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Research and Teaching (3rd edition or more current).

Biosecurity and biocontainment practices are important to preventing disease outbreaks resulting from exposure to pathogens in imported or resident colonies, flocks, or herds.

To establish institutional oversight and to comply with federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to the care and use of animals.

DEA regulations require that principal investigators obtain their own Federal and State of Illinois controlled substances licenses.

Policy covering the treatment of dogs used in research studies.

Describe the oversight required for use of avian eggs in research and teaching.

All animals must receive appropriate and consistent environmental enrichment. The nature of enrichment is species- and age- or developmental-stage-specific.

This policy outlines guidelines for establishing and maintaining mouse breeding groups in accordance with the 2011 version of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.

Dogs housed singly in runs that have at least twice the minimum floor space described by The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, 8th Ed. (the Guide)¹, or dogs housed in pairs or groups that have the sum of the required minimum floor space for each dog do not require additional exercise.

The University of Illinois investigator will provide ACP-LAB (formerly DAR) with information required to produce a health status report and contact information for the receiving institution’s veterinarian or import/export coordinator and the receiving investigator.

Rodents must be fed a nutritionally complete diet ad libitum unless adequate scientific justification for food restriction is provided in the animal use protocol.

The IACUC has determined that certain changes to IACUC protocols may be reviewed via concurrence between the Veterinarian staff and the IACUC Chair or designee, and approved administratively without full committee review (FCR) or designated member review (DMR).

Only animals originating from an approved commercial vendor or other approved sources are received in the University of Illinois animal facilities without undergoing additional screening, quarantine, rederivation, or other suitable monitoring or decontamination procedures.

All animals must be observed at least once daily by trained individuals who are familiar with the species unless a specific exception has been granted by IACUC.

The Public Health Service Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) requires the University to implement an occupational health and safety program for faculty, staff, and students (“personnel”) who work in laboratory animal facilities or who have frequent contact with animals

PIs and personnel approved by IACUC to provide animal care are subject to routine oversight by DAR or AACUP.

The Principal Investigator (PI) must notify the IACUC Office if they plan to leave the University or will be away from campus for an extended period (e.g., while on sabbatical, taking family leave, etc.).

Describes the process of preparing, setting expiration dates for, and storing analgesics and anesthetics for animal use for researchers and ACP-LAB veterinary staff.

If a disaster limits viable housing and resources, the ACP-LAB director and/or veterinarians will assess animal colonies to determine priority status affecting distribution of resources.

Procurement of custom antibodies requires IACUC oversight.

This policy applies to the procurement of all animals (including fish and birds) maintained in Animal Care Program - Laboratory Animals (ACP-LAB, formerly DAR) facilities. Procurement of animals from off-campus sources or animal transfers between campus research and teaching protocols require approval in advance via the Animal Request Form.

When animals used in research and teaching are born or hatched in UIUC production units, the ACP-AG Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) subsidizes the costs of health care, contingent upon completion of required preconditioning of the animals prior to shipment from the source herd.

Adverse events or unexpected outcomes for animals assigned to approved protocols must be reported to the appropriate veterinary staff and to the IACUC.

Individuals charged with performing animal observations, whether members of the animal husbandry staff or the research team, are responsible for reporting animal health- or welfare-related problems according to established procedures.

All research, teaching, and outreach activities at the University of Illinois involving vertebrate animals must be approved by IACUC before the activity begins.

Following transport to a campus facility, animals should be maintained in their home cages/pens for at least 48 hours prior to use in teaching or research activities.

Survival surgical procedures performed on research, testing and teaching animals must be done by qualified personnel using aseptic technique in appropriate facilities.

Animal cells and tissues can transmit pathogens and infect laboratory rodents, so cells and tissues at risk should be tested for rodent pathogens before they are injected or implanted into rodents. 

The IACUC is responsible for oversight and assurance of the well-being of research and teaching animals during transportation between study areas

Pharmaceutical-grade chemicals, when available, should be used for all animal-related procedures.¹ Use of pharmaceutical-grade chemicals in laboratory animals reduces the potential for extraneous compounds to be introduced that in turn might cause toxic or unwanted side effects.

It is difficult to assess pain and distress in animals, so procedures that cause pain or distress in humans should be assumed to cause similar effects in animals.

Acceptable primary enclosures for rodents.