UPDATED: March 2001

Policy P204 ACTIVITIES INVOLVING USE OF VERTEBRATE ANIMALS

Issued by: Office of the Provost
Approved: August 1, 1990

The University is committed to the humane care and use of animals. Long before being required to do so by the State and Federal government, this University initiated policies that addressed activities involving animals and established a committee to monitor those activities. Operational responsibility for all activities involving vertebrate animals resides with the Dean of Medicine.

PROCEDURE: INITIATING AND MAINTAINING ACTIVITIES INVOLVING USE OF VERTEBRATE ANIMALS

Activities involving the use of vertebrate animals are regulated by laws and policies at the campus, State and Federal levels. The faculty, staff, and students at the University are required to comply with these regulations. These regulations also apply to visitors and users of the campus or off-campus University facilities:

1. Any activity involving the use of live vertebrate animals must be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) prior to ordering animals and prior to commencement of the activity.

2. Except as stated in #3 below, all vertebrate animals must be obtained through the Division of Laboratory Animal Resources (DLAR). If a University purchase order is unacceptable to the supplier, the DLAR must be informed in order to determine whether another supplier may be contacted.

3. The IACUC may waive the requirement of mandatory acquisition of animals through DLAR in cases where the activity involves field work. Such a waiver is granted when the detailed methods of observation, capture, and/or tagging of vertebrate animals are determined by the IACUC to be in compliance with applicable regulations governing such work.

4. Use of privately owned animals is prohibited.

5. Users of vertebrate animals must follow policies set forth in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals published by the Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health (NIH).

6. In the event that the animals must be euthanized, the method of euthanasia must conform to those reported in the 2000 Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia or subsequent revisions. Methods of euthanasia for species not covered by this report must be employed as per IACUC recommendation.

7. All individuals involved in activities in which animals are used must attend a training session on the humane care and use of animals conducted by the Director of the DLAR or designee as required in SUNY Stony Brook's Assurance filed with the National Institutes of Health.

8. IACUC approval is required in cases where members of the University propose to engage in collaborative work that involves the use of animals in facilities other than those under the auspices of SUNY Stony Brook.

INQUIRIES/REQUESTS: RELATED FORMS:

Applications for Approval/Continued Approval for the Use of Animals in Research and Educational Activities (+ appendices) areavailable for downloading at: www.research.sunysb.edu/research/aniforms.html

RELATED DOCUMENTS:

The following documents mandate the existence, membership and function of the IACUC and govern activities involving animals conducted by, or affiliated with, faculty, staff and students of the University. These documents are available for review in the Office of the Vice President for Research or DLAR.

New York State Law:
Department of Health (Center for Laboratories and Research) Chapter II: Administrative Rules and Regulations, Chapter II, part 55 State Sanitary Code 16

Federal Laws: Federal Policy:
United States Department of Health and Human Services (Office of Protection from Research Risks) Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals

Federal Guidelines: