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Animal Care Services
Office: H1848
acs@mun.ca
(709) 777-6620 or 6621
Fax: (709) 777-8468

INSTITUTIONAL ANIMAL CARE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
AND
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR ANIMAL CARE COMMITTEES
Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John's, Newfoundland

Preface

The following Policy and Procedures of Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland, in respect of Animal Care and Experimentation, are designed to achieve the humane use and care of animals in the advancement and transmission of knowledge.

The term "animal" as defined in this policy refers to vertebrate animals. It is recognized, however, that in regard to ethical issues surrounding the experimental use of animals it may be necessary to include some invertebrates insofar as consideration should

be given to the complexity of the central nervous system of a species and its sentience, rather than any physical appearance and phylogenetic relationship to the human.

Policies and Procedures

1. The Animal Care Policy will apply to all use of animals in university programmes including teaching and research. This policy shall also apply to all other users of animals who are not affiliated with the University, but who are using University facilities.
2. The University normally accepts as Policy the principles established by the Canadian Council on Animal Care as published in their guides. (See CCAC, Guide, Volume I, 2nd Edition, page 7, 1993). It should also be noted that there must be adherence to all pertinent federal, provincial and municipal regulations.
3. An application submitted on the authorized utilization protocol form describing in detail the proposed use of animals must be filed and approved before any animals can be used for research and teaching.
4. The approval procedure involves the following three parties: A. the Institutional Animal Care Committee; B. the Director of Animal Care, and any other member of the committee when deemed necessary by the whole committee; C. the Principal Investigator of a research project or the instructor of a course.

A. Institutional Animal Care Committee (IACC)

The Committee reports to and is appointed by the President or his delegate.* The Committee membership consists of the Director of Animal Care who is Executive Secretary of the Committee; one member from each department or equivalent unit with significant animal use, taking into account the non-departmental nature of some faculties; a veterinarian, preferably experienced in animal research; one member from a department of the University not involved in animal use (normally from Humanities); and at least one person representing community interest. The community representative should not be affiliated in any way to the institution, nor have any conflict of interest which would compromise their role. A technical staff representative (the manager or animal health technician), a graduate student, and the non-voting secretary shallalso be members of the committee.**

Quorum

The quorum shall consist of 50% of the membership of the committee, including the chair or designate, director of Animal Care Services or designate, and a lay member. If a lay member cannot be present, every effort will be made to ensure they receive the protocols submissions before the date of the meeting so that their concerns are presented to the committee during discussion of protocols.

Terms of Service

At least two-thirds of the members of the IACC will be appointed for a term of four (4) years, renewable for a further four (4) years. The IACC reserves the right to retain required expertise if there are no available alternatives.

Provision shall be made to co-opt other persons as the need arises, especially for protocol review.

The Chair is selected by the President or his delegate from among the Committee members.

The Committee shall normally hold regular monthly meetings, usually monthly during the Fall and Winter semesters. The Committee shall also conduct site visits to all Animal Care facilities and laboratories utilizing animals on University premises in accordance with the provisions of the CCAC. (See CCAC, Guide, Volume I, 2nd., Ed., Page 9, 1993). Regular visits shall take place at least once a year in each of the three Animal Care Services units. The Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, Corner Brook shall also be inspected once a year either by the Animal Care Services director or appointed IACC member. The visits shall be followed by a written report from the site visiting committee and addressed to the Animal Care Services director. The director shall report back to the full IACC after recommended changes/repairs are completed.

The responsibilities of the IACC shall be:

1. To advise on policy and procedures for the use of animals.
2. To advise on matters relating to the use of animals, both living and post-mortem.
3. To evaluate the proposed use of animals to determine whether or not the use is in accordance with university policies and procedures. No use of animals may occur unless it meets with the approval of the Committee in accordance with the said policies and procedures. (See CCAC, Guide, Volume I, 2nd., Page 7 & 9, 1993).
4. 1. To establish and implement procedures for the review of protocols for teaching and research.
   2. All initial applications must be considered by the entire Committee. Annual renewal applications to continue work previously approved under categories A and B of invasiveness will normally be examined by a subcommittee consisting of the Chair, the Executive Secretary, and a lay member of the Committee. The subcommittee review may not be repeated more than two times for a given protocol. Annual renewal applications of categories C, D, and E must come to the full IACC.
5. All complaints with regard to Animal Care must be brought to the attention of the IACC. The committee will then inform the Departmental or Divisional Head and the faculty member concerned of the complaint. When the complaint concerns a procedure or procedures already approved, it shall be answered by the Chair of the Committee. If the complaint involves unauthorized or unacceptable procedures, a subcommittee consisting of two or more committee members shall be appointed to conduct an investigation. One member of this subcommittee shall be the university committee member from the department involved. If such a complaint is directed against a member on the IACC, the President or his delegate will appoint some other person to the subcommittee. This subcommittee shall consult with the committee members and the faculty members concerned.
6. Notwithstanding the generality of items 1 and 2 above, the committee shall be concerned with:
   1. standards of facilities, equipment, and care of animals.
   2. procedures for ensuring health and comfort of experimental animals.
   3. training and qualifications of all personnel engaged in the care of animals.
   4. procedures for prevention of unnecessary pain including the use of anaesthetics and analgesics.
   5. the procedure for the euthanasia of animals.
   6. maintaining of interest in the development of alternatives to the use of animals in research.

* The President has designated the Vice-President (Research) to act in this capacity.

** The current IACC membership composition includes representatives from the Faculty of Science (Biochemistry; Biology; Psychology; Ocean Sciences Centre); one representative from Fisheries and Marine Institute; one representative from the School of Pharmacy; three representatives from the Division of BioMedical Science, Faculty of Medicine; one representative from the Department of Religious Studies; two representatives from the Department of Animal Care Services (the director and the manager); one graduate student representative from the Division of BioMedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and one representative from the SPCA; and one external representative (who is a veterinarian, experienced in animal research).

B. The Director of Animal Care Services

The Director of Animal Care Services shall be a person experienced in animal care and appointed by the Vice-President (Research).

The Director shall have the following responsibilities:

1. He/she shall be qualified in appropriate scientific disciplines, possess experience with a variety of species, and be a competent administrator.
2. He/she shall be responsible for establishing and promoting participation in educational programmes; which will, at the technical level, improve the quality and efficiency of animal care, and, at the professional level, assist in the proper training of prospective investigators in the use of laboratory animals.
3. He/she shall act as Executive Secretary of the IACC
4. He/she shall ensure that periodic inspections of Animal Care facilities are undertaken to determine compliance with Animal Care policies. Inspection of laboratories of individual faculty members who have had protocols to work on animals duly authorized may take place at any time that is mutually agreed upon by the Director of Animal Care and the faculty member concerned.
5. The Director shall ensure adherence to the established standards of Animal Care.
6. He/she shall maintain liaison with the Canadian Council on Animal Care.
7. He/she shall report to the IACC the need for action when it is observed that any animal is not being used in accordance with approved protocols.
8. He/she shall be empowered to make a decision on terminating the life of any animal undergoing severe and protracted pain. Such animals must be destroyed as soon as possible and not be permitted to linger until their inevitable death. The principle investigator shall be informed that such a procedure is to take place.

C. Principal Investigator or Course Instructor

The principal investigator on a research project or the instructor of a course shall:

1. Be familiar with all current guidelines published by the Canadian Council on Animal Care.
2. Complete the required protocol forms, obtain the Committee's approval for the use of animals before the project or course is initiated, and secure the renewal for continuing projects or courses. The approved protocol may not be modified subsequently without prior approval of the committee.
3. Ensure that animals used for research and/or teaching are handled in as humane a manner as is consistent with the procedure course described.
4. In the case of any problems with animals, seek advice from the Director of Animal Care.
5. Through the submission of the animal utilization protocol inform Animal Care Services of all purchases or acquisitions of animals. If any animals are to be obtained from commercial sources, caught in the wild, or taken from University colonies or herds, Animal Care Services must be notified before such animals are obtained.

D. Approvals and Appeals

1. When approval has been given, the recording secretary of the Institutional Animal Care Committee will so advise the applicant and the Vice-President (Research).
2. When approval has been given subject to minor amendment, the Executive Secretary will transmit details of the amendment to the applicant and, after appropriate modification of the protocol, approval will then be given.
3. If approval has been withheld or the protocol has been rejected, the investigator concerned is entitled to appear before the Committee to present additional information for consideration.
4. Appeals by applicants will go directly to the President and, if necessary, will be handled on the basis of the procedures outlined by the CCAC.

(Revised and Approved by IACC, February, 2009)