Allowing the adoption of research animals as private pets as opposed to either recycling them into another study or euthanizing them after the conclusion of the protocol is a topic many IACUCs are facing in biomedical research. While the potential benefits are great, the adoption of laboratory animals is still a controversial issue because of liabilities to research personnel and institutions. Thus the Great Eastern IACUC should revise its animal adoption program to have the following: (1) a veterinarian's clinical assessment including a physical and behavioral examination, and (2) laboratory and clinical tests including a complete blood count, serum biochemical analysis, and fecal flotation test. For cats, testing for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus may be advisable, as well as veterinary assessment that the animal does not show evidence of zoonotic infection. The veterinarian should review the animal's medical record, especially with regard to any experimental procedures, to determine if there are any complications that may preclude adoption of the animal. There should be an evaluation of animals for overall temperament, degree of socialization, and the lack of aggressive or fearful tendencies. The feasibility of these proposals depends on financial support of the institution.
Because the veterinarian and PI were hesitant to work with the IACUC when questions arose, I wonder about the level of support for the adoption program. There should be an examination of the level of commitment from different facets of the institution.
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