UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls
The purpose of this policy is to ensure the ethical and humane treatment of all animals used in teaching, demonstration, and research at UW-River Falls, and to ensure our compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. The UW-River Falls Animal Care Committee, which functions as our Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), is responsible for creating, modifying, and implementing this policy.
Any of the following conditions require a research protocol.
MS Word research protocol form, which you may fill out onscreen, print, sign, and submit.
The committee recognizes that many of the animal care practices at UW-River Falls, especially those in use at the laboratory farms, constitute routine animal care. The committee therefore acknowledges the following animal management and care practices as acceptable, and exempts faculty and staff from further committee review.
The consulting veterinarian to the Animal Care Committee shall inspect all UW-River Falls animal care and handling facilities once per month to monitor these practices and verify that animals are being treated humanely. They will report their findings to the Animal Care Committee.
Animal handling or care practices which deviate from these, be they for research, teaching, or demonstration, require the submission of a protocol.
However, no one - veterinarians, faculty, staff, students or visitors - is exempt from providing animals with humane care while on the UW-River Falls campus.
All faculty, staff and students, using animals in the classroom, laboratory or in the workplace, must be trained in the appropriate handling and care techniques to insure the humane treatment of the animal and the safety of both the animals and humans involved.
Most faculty and staff who routinely utilize animals are trained in these techniques and may only need to update themselves periodically on Animal Care regulations. However, these same faculty and staff are obligated to instruct new staff and students in the proper technique in proportion to their involvement with animals. Extensive involvement means extensive training - slight involvement, less extensive training. The lead person, staff or faculty, will provide a statement that training has occurred.
A self-study and self-testing program concerning the ethical and humane care of animals is available. All those individuals regularly involved in animal handling, care, experimentation, and demonstration are encouraged to complete this program prior to participation in work, demonstration, animal care or experimentation.
The test program is to be administrated by the lead faculty member for the unit or research project. Retesting will occur at three year intervals. The UW-RF Grants Office will provide the guides for the test.
Each protocol must specify the method of euthanasia which will be used if animals must be euthanized. Acceptable methods include:
Each protocol must specify how dead animals and animal tissues will be disposed of. Acceptable methods include:
UW-River Falls Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee members: