Purpose

The Animal Welfare Act, Animal Welfare Regulations, and PHS Policy state that no animal work may be performed on protocols without IACUC approval which includes protocols that have expired. The Center for Comparative Medicine (CCM) has holding protocols on which animals may be temporarily transferred from a previously approved protocol (which has expired) so that the maintenance of these animals can be assured.

Action

1. All Principal Investigators (PI) are informed when any of their protocols expire. The PI is expected to comply with federal law that no experimental procedures may be performed on animals when the approved protocol expires. CCM is also informed when any protocol expires.

2. All animals under an expired protocol will automatically be transferred to the institutional holding protocol by CCM. While animals are being housed under this protocol, no experimental procedures- this includes breeding- are allowed. The holding protocol provides for routine husbandry and any veterinary care actions that may be required.

3. Once animals are transferred to the institutional holding protocol, there will be a card placed over the cage card which identifies the cage as being housed under the holding protocol. This should serve as a reminder that no experimental procedures may be performed on any animal in the cage.

4. The transfer of animals to the holding protocol will be allowed for three months ONLY. This will allow the PI time to write a new animal care and use protocol and have it approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

5. Animals transferred to the institutional holding protocol will be euthanized, or otherwise appropriately disposed of, once the three months expiration date is reached unless the PI of the original expired protocol requests a one-time extension of an additional three months.

Effective Dates:  June 2, 2022 through June 30, 2025