POLICY ON HOUSING OF VERTEBRATE
ANIMALS OUTSIDE OF ANIMAL FACILITIES

Rationale

Under special circumstances it may be most appropriate to house vertebrate animals outside of centralized animal care facilities. This policy outlines the conditions under which this is appropriate and establishes guidelines to be met by investigators so that the ACFC can assure that animals receive proper care and that the animals do not pose a hazard or inconvenience to people in the building in which they are kept.

When is it appropriate to house animals outside of centralized animal facilities?

The following are examples of instances in which it may be appropriate to house animals outside of centralized animal facilities:

  1. Species which require specialized housing not generally available in animal facilities (e.g. fish)
  2. Projects which require the use of expensive specialized equipment such as HPLC which is located in a lab and which must be in close proximity to the animals.
  3. Instances where the investigator has an established housing system in place, which is suitable, and may be expensive or difficult to move.
  4. Demonstration or exhibition
  5. Housing animals outside animal facilities is of less concern for fish and other aquatics where odors are less of an issue.
  6. In many such instances, housing of animals in centralized facilities may be possible and advantageous. In such instances the choice of housing location may be optional.

Concerns about animals outside of centralized animal facilities

  1. Centralized animal facilities provide controlled environments with temperature control, light cycle control, adequate ventilation systems separate from those supplying "people areas", security, proper facilities for storage of food and waste, pest control programs, cagewashing facilities, etc. Heating is provided during long holiday breaks. Animals are observed 365 days a year. Housing areas outside of animal facilities may not be able to provide all of these elements.
  2. Laboratory Animal Services and the ACFC must know about all animals on campus.
  3. Experience shows that the quality of care provided in investigator labs can vary tremendously.
  4. Animals must be observed frequently, including during weekends and holidays. Generally this means daily.
  5. Animals, animal odors and allergens must not adversely affect people in the building.
  6. Animal care practices must meet all standards as set forth in applicable regulations and guidelines. The ACFC must be able to assure such standards are met.
  7. Rutgers must provide AAALAC a detailed description of animal care practices. In the absence of written procedures, it is not possible to evaluate such practices.

Requirements for housing vertebrate animals outside centralized animal facilities

  1. Housing of animals outside of centralized animal facilities must be approved in advance by the ACFC as part of an approved animal use protocol.
  2. Standards of care must meet all applicable requirements.
  3. The facility must be reasonably accessible to authorized personnel from LAS, the ACFC and outside inspectors or site visitors.
  4. Animal use must be reported to LAS when requested.
  5. The investigator must provide a detailed written SOP outlining the animal care practices to be used. Where appropriate, this should follow the outline of the "husbandry" section of the AAALAC description. In instances where the AAALAC description seems inappropriate (e.g. aquatics), the outline should be adhered to as much as possible.
  6. Protocol approval will be conditional on approval of the husbandry SOP.

Husbandry SOP forms

Aquatic animal husbandry SOP form  A downloadable Word97 document