Conducting Research with Animals

Animal Procurement

The ARF is responsible for ALL research animal procurement. ALL requests for animals and all animal orders MUST be placed ONLY by the ARF office. All requests and inquiries to use animals should be directed to the ARF office. Procedures for procuring animals are detailed here:

1. Prerequisites / Conditions
   To maintain animals in the ARF a Principal Investigator MUST:
   1. Have a current, approved Animal Use Protocol.
   2. Have an ARF account for billing purposes. To establish an account, direct inquiries to ARF accounting dept.

2. Commercial Vendors
   
   1. When placing an animal order for rodents, you must first determine the species/strain/substrain/genotype that you need. If uncertain of the supplier, please visit the following approved vendor list to determine availability, cost, etc.
   2. Approved Vendor List
      1. Harlan Sprague-Dawley
      2. Jackson Laboratories
      3. Charles River Laboratories
      4. Taconic Procedures

3. Animal Order Deadlines
   
   1. Animal Orders to vendors are routinely placed on Thursday morning.
   2. Animal Order requests must be placed prior to 9:00 AM on Thursday for animals expected to be delivered the following week.
   3. Holiday Deadlines
      1. Holidays sometimes disrupt normal ordering and delivery schedules.
      2. Check with the ARF office regarding holiday schedules 272-3936 or Kmedina@salud.unm.edu
   4. Information necessary to place an order:
      1. PI name
      2. PI approved animal use protocol number
      3. PI account number
      4. Species
      5. Gender
      6. Age or Size (Weight) of Animal
      7. Quantity
      8. Telephone number for delivery notification
   5. Placing an Animal Order
      1. FAX Orders:  FAX to 272-9106
      2. Telephone Orders to ARF office 272 3936
      3. In-Person Orders: BMSB G-32 (ARF office)

4. Transfer from Other Institutions
   In order to receive animals from another academic or research institution, the transfer must first be approved by the HSC ARF attending veterinarian. The approval is based upon the determination of the health and SPF (Specific Pathogen Free) status of the animals. In order to complete this assessment, the HSC ARF veterinarian must review a Health Surveillance Report, to be provided by the originating institution veterinary staff.
   1. Animal Transfer Procedures
      1. Complete the IMPORTING ANIMALS TO UNM form
      2. Forward the document to the originating institution for completion of contact information.
      3. Submit the completed form to the ARF veterinarian with a complete explanation of the request
      4. The ARF office will notify you of approval or disproval of the request, as well as conditions of the importation and quarantine of the animals.
      5. When notified of approval, the PI is responsible for contacting the ARF office (272-3936) to verify animal numbers, gender, housing conditions, protocol number, ARF account number, etc.

5. Transfer to Other Institutions
   
   1. Complete the form EXPORTING ANIMALS FROM UNM
   2. Provide destination institution Animal Resource Facility veterinary staff contact information.
   3. Coordinate shipment through ARF
   4. ARF will coordinate shipment/transfer

6. Transfer of animals within UNM HSC
   All animals maintained within the ARF must be maintained on a current, approved Animal Use Protocol. If you wish to transfer animals form one protocol to another, you must know what the animal protocol number are. If the animals are being transferred from one PI to another, on approved protocols, the PIs names and protocol numbers must be available.
   1. Contact the ARF Office to request transfer
   2. Provide the following information
      1. Quantity of animals, number of cages
      2. Age, gender
      3. Housing arrangements requested
      4. Number of cage cards needed
      5. Protocol numbers
      6. PI name(s)
      7. Animal Room requested

7. International Transfers
   
   1. Complete and submit the form "IMPORTING ANIMALS TO UNM"
   2. IMPORTATION: Follow USDA Guidelines for importation (link to web server Animal Procurement and Transfer/ IMPORTING ANIMALS TO UNM form/Foreign Import-USDA guidelines .doc)
   3. EXPORTATION: Contact the ARF veterinary staff
   4. Contact the UNM HSC ARF veterinarian for additional information that may be required.

8. Transfer of animals within UNM HSC
   All animals maintained within the ARF must be maintained on a current, approved Animal Use Protocol. If you wish to transfer animals form one protocol to another, you must know what the animal protocol number are. If the animals are being transferred from one PI to another, on approved protocols, the PIs names and protocol numbers must be available.
   1. Contact the ARF Office to request transfer
   2. Provide the following information
      1. Quantity of animals, number of cages
      2. Age, gender
      3. Housing arrangements requested
      4. Number of cage cards needed
      5. Protocol numbers
      6. PI name(s)
      7. Animal Room requested