Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

Policies and Procedures

Introduction

Murray State University utilizes an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) in accordance with the requirements of the federal regulations which is qualified through the experience and expertise of its members to oversee the institution’s animal program, facilities, and procedures. The IACUC covers all living vertebrate animals. 

Inventory

Twice a year (spring and fall) the IACUC will send a notification to all academic departments utilizing animals requiring an inventory count of all animals meeting one or more of the following criteria: 1) animals housed on campus for longer than a 24 hour period, 2) animals which are owned by the University, 3) animals residing on or cared for by University resources. This inventory coincides with the University’s annual report to USDA.

Expedited Animal Event Notification:

The IACUC requires advance notification of any event on campus that will utilize animals. Examples of these events are Field Days, Rodeo, Reptile Fest, Producer Days, etc. A form is enclosed for this notification purpose and should be returned to the IACUC Coordinator five (5) days prior to the event. University events that have a University Attending Veterinarian in attendance do not require notification.

Expedited Event Notification Form

Protocols

All investigators who wish to utilize vertebrate animals for research or teaching purposes must submit a protocol application to the IACUC Coordinator. The IACUC will notify the investigator in writing of its decision to approve or withhold approval of the proposed activity. No research or teaching may be conducted until the investigator has been notified by the IACUC. Teaching venues in which an animal is under observation for non-experimental purposes do not require a protocol.

Exemptions

No protocol is required for farm animal production or generally accepted agriculture practice unless the animal is utilized in an academic course / teaching purpose that an Animal Health Technology/Pre Veterinary Medicine student would participate in during a course or research project. 

Veterinary Services

The IACUC Attending Veterinarian must be contacted regarding any animal injury or illness meeting any 1 of the 3 standards listed above (see Inventory). The Attending Veterinarian has the authority to refer the care to another veterinarian or caretaker, but MSU’s attending veterinarian must be notified first in all cases of injury or illness.