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Policy on Reporting Deficiencies in Animal Care
It is a requirement of the USDA regulations as part of the Animal Welfare
Act to have a written institutional policy that defines a method for reporting
concerns related to animal care and use. Following is the UGA institutional
policy. Although some administrative methods may vary among colleges or
facilities, this standard operating procedure will serve as a basic guide
in resolving the types of problems that may be encountered.
Deficiencies in basic animal needs, extremes in environmental temperature,
and animal illnesses should be promptly reported to the animal care
supervisor. While the animal care supervisor should be informed about
facility problems,
the attending veterinarian or animal health technician should be promptly
informed about sick or injured animals. Persons observing situations
that need corrective action should take the initiative to locate
the person
responsible any time an animal's well being is involved. Do not be
satisfied to leave a note and assume that someone will take care
of it.
Painful or stressful research procedures must be reviewed and approved
by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) before
the study is initiated. If you are concerned that an animal may be
experiencing
unnecessary
or excessive pain during or following an experimental procedure,
discuss it first with the principal investigator. If the response
is not satisfactory
or if the response is delayed, then the situation should be reported
to the attending veterinarian, the Chairperson of the IACUC, or the
Director
of Animal Care and Use. Uncaring or cruel behavior toward animals
cannot be tolerated in any research or teaching facilities. If these
types
of problems occur, the incident or situation should be reported immediately
to the offender's supervisor, the attending veterinarian, or the
Chairperson of the IACUC. If you see an investigator or technician
who is endangering
or stressing an animal because of inexperience, offer to help if
you are
competent in the procedure. If you are also inexperienced, find someone
else who can assist. Mention the incident to your supervisor.
Some animal care and research procedures about which you may be concerned
may be approved or acceptable practices. If there really is a problem,
someone may be working on a solution. However, play it safe for
the benefit of the animals and ask anyway. You will not be reprimanded
for reporting
or expressing your concerns.
You, as an employee, should first express your concern and attempt
to solve the problem at the most immediate administrative level.
If there is no
solution or explanation offered, then move to the next level
of responsibility within your department or college.
If you are in doubt about how to proceed with your concerns,
questions and problems can be taken to the attending veterinarian
or the
Chairperson of the IACUC and then to the Director of Animal
Care and Use. It
is most likely that the problem will be solved by and between
persons most directly
involved in the situation.
If an employee reports a situation to you as a supervisor,
an attending veterinarian, or an administrator, acknowledge
the
report and promise
to follow up with more details as soon as possible. After
you complete your
assessment of the problem, be sure to let the employee know
the outcome.
The regional USDA veterinarian responsible for animal welfare,
upon request, can investigate any concerns not appropriately
addressed by the UGA Animal
Care and Use Program.
October 1997
Animal Use Categories
Category A Includes the use of animals in experimental procedures that
would be expected to produce little or no pain or distress.
Examples: 1. Holding, in a cage, animals for use in research or teaching,
i.e. breeding colonies
2. Routine procedures such as injections, blood sampling, and euthanasia
using approved guidelines.
3. Physical examinations
4. Behavioral observations in laboratory animals or captive wildlife.
5. Procedures in which anesthetized animals do not regain consciousness.
If the result of any of the above procedures is painful or distressful,
the procedure should be listed under Category B or C below.
Category B Includes the use of animals in procedures that involve minor
pain or distress of short duration, or in procedures where pain
and distress are alleviated through the use of anesthetics, analgesics,
and tranquilizers.
Examples: 1. Procedures causing pain or distress, which can be
relieved by the appropriate use of analgesics, anesthetics, or
tranquilizers.
2. Exposure of blood vessels or chronic implantation of catheters.
3. Behavioral studies or procedures that involve short-term restraint.
4. Food/water deprivation for short periods.
5. Noxious stimuli from which escape is possible.
6. Surgical procedures, which may result in some minor post- surgical
pain or distress.
7. Diagnostic procedures such as laparoscopy or needle biopsies
or one-time laparoscopies.
8. Use of Complete Freund’s Adjuvant under approved guidelines.
Category C Includes the use of animals in procedures
that involve significant but unavoidable pain or distress to the
animals.
Examples: 1. Procedures causing pain or distress that cannot
be relieved by pain-relieving drugs or tranquilizers.
2. Purposeful induction of behavioral stress, loss of sight,
or similar debilitation to test the effects.
3. Major surgical procedures such as the invasion and exposure
of body cavities, orthopedics, major dental work that result
in substantial post-operative
pain or distress which cannot be relieved by the appropriate
use of anesthetics, analgesics, or tranquilizers.
4. Induction of an anatomic or physiological deficit that will
result in pain or distress.
5. Application of noxious stimuli from which escape is impossible
or prolonged periods of physical restraint.
6. Procedures that produce pain or distress in which anesthetics
are not used, such as toxicity studies, microbial virulence
testing, radiation
sickness, certain infections, and stress or shock research.
7. Studies causing inflammation, tissue damage, or neoplasia
that results in morbidity.
Category D Includes the use of invertebrate animals, cell cultures, embryonated
eggs, certain biologic products, tissues obtained post-mortem from vertebrate
animals, or observation of non-captive wildlife
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