The Attending Veterinarian (AV) at University of Massachusetts Amherst (the University) is responsible for all the duties listed in the Animal Welfare Act Regulations §2.331, the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals 8th Edition2 (the Guide) and listed in tThe IACUC Handbook Second Edition3.
The Guide (p.14) states “…. the institution must provide the AV with sufficient authority, including access to all animals, and resources to manage the program of veterinary care.” In accordance with the Guide and AWAR §2.33(2)4 the University fully authorizes the Attending Veterinarian to provide medical care and, if necessary, euthanasia to all “research animals”. The Attending Veterinarian is not required to obtain approval from the Principal Investigator or any other parties prior to providing treatment or euthanasia to research animals.
“Research animals” are vertebrate animals used at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for research, research training, experimentation, biological testing, teaching and related activities, as well as to animals usually maintained on University premises being transported in the care of University personnel.
1. Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Regulations (2002) pp. 36-37. Published by United States Department of Agriculture Animal Plant Health Inspection Service.
2. The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals 8th Edition (2011), National Academies Press, Washington DC
3. Silverman, J., Suckow, M.A., Murthy, S eds. (2007) The IACUC Handbook Second Edition pp. 499 – 500. Published by Taylor & Francis.
4. AWAR §2.33(2). Each research facility shall ensure that the attending veterinarian has appropriate authority to ensure the provision of adequate veterinary care and to oversee the adequacy of other aspects of animal care and use.
Links
[1] https://www.umass.edu/research/topic/animal-subjectsiacuc
[2] https://www.umass.edu/research/topic/compliance