IACUC Policy on the Disposition of Untreated, Surplus Vertebrate Animals
November 27, 1995
Canisius College recognizes its responsibility for the humane care of vertebrate animals used in college activities, and that this responsibility extends to the disposition of such animals when projects are completed. Accordingly, the Canisius College IACUC hereby establishes the following guidelines:
In each application to use vertebrate animals on campus, the applicant must clearly explicate the intended disposition of the animals at the end of the project. The plans for ultimate disposition of the subjects, along with the protocols for use, must be approved before the animals are initially brought onto campus.
In the event that euthanasia is to be carried out, details of the procedure to be employed must be included in the application. (The applicant is referred to the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia for standards and guidance in this regard.)
In the event that the animal subjects will remain alive at the project’s conclusion, the applicant can propose maintaining the surplus animals against the possibility that they will prove useful in the future. However, the applicant is cautioned to guard against the long-term maintenance in captivity of aging animal populations which are serving no purpose. In disposing of living animals, the applicant can choose among the following options (which are presented in order of desirability):
For untreated, surplus mammals:
1. He/she can arrange for the subjects to be transferred to another approved project at Canisius College.
2. He/she can arrange for the subjects to be transferred to another USDA-licensed or PHS-approved institution.
In the event that neither of these options is available, the applicant is to carry out euthanasia and offer the bodies to interested parties (such as the Buffalo Zoo for use in feeding snakes). No other alternatives may be undertaken without explicit approval of the IACUC. Specifically,
- The applicant may not return mammal subject to the original supplier.
- The applicant may not allow surplus mammals to be adopted as pets.
- The applicant may not release mammal subjects into the wild.
1. He/she can arrange for the subjects to be transferred to another approved project at Canisius College.
2. He/she can arrange for the subjects to be transferred to another USDA-licensed or PHS-approved institution.
3. He/she can arrange to return non-mammal subjects to the original supplier.
4. He/she can arrange for non-mammal subjects to be adopted as pets by carefully selected private individuals.
In the event that none of these options are available, the applicant is to carry out euthanasia and offer the bodies to interested parties (such as the Buffalo Zoo for use in feeding snakes). No other alternatives may be undertaken without explicit approval of the IACUC. The applicant may not release non-mammal subjects into the wild.