Animal Care & Use

The Office of Animal Care and Use (OACU) oversees the University’s use of animals in scientific investigation and instruction, manages the compliance activities of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and administers the research support functions of University Research Animal Resources (URAR).

Announcements and News

 

1/24/2019: As many of you are aware, Dr. Lois Zitzow, Director of University Research Animal Resources (URAR), has taken a position at the National University of Singapore. The search for a new Director is imminent.

The entire URAR team is working to maintain business-as-usual during the transition. Dr. Chris King, Associate Vice President for Research Integrity and Safety, and Dr. Leanne Alworth, Director of the Office of Animal Care and Use, will share leadership responsibilities until a new URAR Director is in place.

We will keep the animal research enterprise moving forward, however we want researchers to understand there will be some impact on URAR and OACU activities, and some processes are likely to take longer than standard. Please provide as much lead time as possible for requests regarding your animal use needs. For example:

  • Please submit new AUPs, at a minimum, 90 days before approval is needed. More than 90 days is strongly encouraged, especially for Highest Use Category B and C.
  • Please submit orders for animals from non-approved vendors at least 1 month before you would like the animals to arrive. This will allow for health status assessment and any required additional testing to occur. Please keep in mind that, for rodents, quarantine generally takes 7-8 weeks after arrival.
  • Please submit requests for URAR services at least 2 weeks before the required date, including animal transfers, animal transportation, and training.

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this transition period. We will try to make the journey as smooth as possible!

2/8/2019: UPDATED POLICIES ALERT: The IACUC has recently approved changes to the Policy on Physical Restraint and the Policy on the Use of Outdated Drugs and Materials.

IACUC

The use of vertebrate animals in research at UGA requires registration, review and approval by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). IACUC review and approval is required to ensure compliance with all regulations, policies and standards that protect animal welfare. All animal use proposals are submitted through Artemis.

For general inquiries please contact our staff at iacuc@uga.edu

Humane Care and Use Policy

UGA maintains a Policy on Humane Care and Use of Animals that declares its compliance with regulations and policies governing use of all vertebrate animals used in research and instruction.

How Do I Report an Animal Welfare Issue?

The University of Georgia is committed to the humane care of the animals used in its research and instructional activities. If you have a question or concern about animal welfare, we urge you to report concerns to your supervisor or to the University’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

The identity of persons reporting concerns is held strictly confidential.

Documents

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