Policy on Transporting Animals

Because of public health, animal health, security, and public relations considerations, Medical Center policy mandates that laboratory animals be transported in a specified manner. They are required to be moved in either their primary enclosures or in approved transport cages that are escape-proof, adequate in size, and made of materials that can be readily sanitized. All cages or other transport devices must have solid bottoms or be placed in a secondary container so as to contain animal waste. All devices must be appropriately sanitized between use.

All devices used to transport animals out of the Vivarium proper must be either enclosed in a second container or covered with a drape or other material so the animal(s) are not visible. Disposable drapes are preferred, cotton drapes are acceptable. To minimize the possibility that such non-disposable drapes might act as fomites for infectious agents, a separate drape should be used for animals from different housing rooms.

Public elevators must not be used to transport laboratory animals. Only specified passenger and freight elevators within the Vivarium areas may be used for this purpose. Contact the Animal Resource Office for instructions as to which elevators to use.

Under no circumstances can laboratory animals be brought into or through the Hospital or patient care areas.

Policy for Transporting Non-human Primates

The housing, care, use and transport of non-human primates present a unique range of potential hazards for animal care and research personnel. Public relations and security are also heightened for these species. Non-human primates transported between their housing rooms and laboratories outside the immediate Vivarium area must be in a totally enclosed transport device. An approved cart, used for non-human primates in restraint chairs is readily available. Other transport devices may be considered. All such devices must be adequately sized, escape-proof, and made of materials that can be readily sanitized.

Medical Center policy prohibits transporting non-human primates in open devices such as restraint chairs.

Transport of nonhuman primates from one floor to another must only occur within the Vivarium freight elevators. The policy prohibits use of any passenger elevator, including those in the Vivarium, for such transport. In the event that the Vivarium freight elevator is inoperable, contact the Animal Resource Office 275-2651 for instruction as to alternative transport.