Animal Welfare Concerns

At UC Santa Cruz, many approaches have been established to ensure that research and teaching activities with animals are conducted with welfare in mind.

• Maintaining an IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) as an oversight body, which consists of animal investigators, animal managers, the campus veterinarian, non-UC Santa Cruz affiliated persons from the community, who meet regularly to evaluate the program. The members review protocols, conduct inspections of animal facilities twice per year, conduct program evaluations, respond to concerns, and make recommendations to the university. 
• Describing the proposed animal activity in an animal study protocol, which is completed by a faculty-level investigator. The protocol is reviewed and approved by the IACUC.
• Providing research administrative support to the IACUC via the IACUC office administrator, the Office of Research Compliance Administration, and the Institutional Official (IO) in the Office of Research.
• Supporting the campus (attending) veterinarian, a full-time position, who serves on the IACUC and advises animal users about veterinary care. The ILAR Guide explains, “The attending veterinarian (AV) is responsible for the health and well-being of all laboratory animals used at the institution.  The institution must provide the AV with sufficient authority, including access to all animals, and resources to manage the program of veterinary care.  The AV should oversee other aspects of animal care and use (e.g., husbandry, housing) to ensure that the program complies with the Guide.”
• Obtaining training about regulations and welfare through CITI, collaborations, distribution of relevant articles from the popular press and scientific journals, professional certifications (AALAS and PRIM&R), and other continuing education opportunities.
• Utilizing the 3Rs, which stand for Replace, Reduce, and Refine, based upon concepts put forth by Russell and Burch in their 1959 book, The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique.
• Maintaining a statement in the form of the PHS Animal Welfare Assurance with the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW).
• Being registered with the USDA and inspected annually by APHIS veterinary medical officers (VMOs).
• Obtaining, since 2007, AAALAC International accreditation, a peer-review assessment.
• Empowering the IACUC with the regulatory authority and requirement to “review, and, if warranted, investigate concerns involving the care and use of animals at the research facility resulting from public complaints received and from reports of noncompliance received from laboratory or research facility personnel or employees.” 
• Developing UC Santa Cruz policies to provide protection against discrimination or other reprisals for reporting violations (“whistleblower protection”).
• Following the regulations (Animal Welfare Act, 9 CFR § 2.31(c)(4)) which provide that “No facility employee, Committee member, or laboratory personnel shall be discriminated against or be subject to any reprisal for reporting violations of any regulations or standards under the Act.”