Inspection of Animal Housing Areas

Animal housing facilities must be inspected by the IACUC at least once every six months, according to the AWAR 1 (2.31, c, 2) and PHS Policy 2 (IV, B, 2). Nevertheless, aside from this simple directive, a few subsequent policy clarifications, and the detailed standards for animal housing and care provided in the AWAR 1 and the Guide, 3 these regulatory authorities allow institutions the flexibility to develop inspection methods that function effectively and efficiently for their specific research program. An IACUC may approach implementation of the inspection requirement in a variety of ways. The information provided in this chapter is intended to assist IACUCs in developing an effective animal housing facility inspection program tailored to the needs of their individual institutions.