UT Southwestern IACUC Policy                                                                          IACUC # 219

Approval Date:____1/29/2009                                                                                      1 of 1

Carcass Disposal

Rationale:

The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide) requires that all conventional, biologic, and hazardous waste (including animal carcasses) be removed and disposed of regularly and safely.

Policy:

All carcasses must be removed from animal rooms/laboratories and placed in the appropriate freezer or cold room after completion of an experiment.

Applicability:

This policy applies to the final disposal of all animals used in research.

Exceptions:

Exceptions to this policy may be granted by a decision of the IACUC in a convened meeting.

Instructions:

Investigators and their staff are responsible for disposing of animals they euthanize.

If animals were used in conjunction with hazardous materials, carcass and tissue disposal methods must adhere to the approved EH&S safety plan.

For large animals:

• Large animal carcasses must be placed in containers in the J1 or G9 freezer. Please contact your ARC facility supervisor if the animal is too large to place in the container.
• Animal health records must be marked with the date of euthanasia and the method of euthanasia.

For rodents and other small animals:

• All rodent carcasses must be placed in an opaque bag that is tied or secured. The ARC provides suitable bags.
• The bags must be placed in an appropriate carcass refrigerator or freezer. Please contact the ARC supervisor for locations of refrigerators or freezers.

Note: ARC personnel will place the carcasses of animals found during routine husbandry procedures in the appropriate refrigerator and will notify the principal investigator for pick up.

Contact Information:

For any additional questions, please contact the IACUC Manager, Donna Dudek, at 5-6420.