CCAC policy statement for senior administrators responsible for animal care and use programs

You will find attached the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) Policy statement for: senior administrators responsible for animal care and use programs. This new policy was approved by CCAC Council this year, following extensive external and internal review, including much appreciated contributions from senior administrators, animal care committees, veterinarians and others across Canada.

CCAC standards, as applied by institutions and as assessed during CCAC visits, are divided into two main types of documents: policy statements and guidelines. CCAC policy statements, including the terms of reference for animal care committees (first published as a stand alone policy in 1997 and revised in 2000 and 2006) and the new policy for senior administrators are meant to establish basic requirements for the fundamental structure and appropriate operation of all institutional animal care and use programs. CCAC guidelines provide guidance in specific areas of animal care and use and may apply to all or only some participants in the CCAC Program, depending on the nature of the topic covered.

The policy statement for: senior administrators responsible for animal care and use programs is meant to assist senior administrators and their colleagues on animal care committees and in animal care services in meeting the expectations of the Canadian public, the federal granting Agencies and other funders, and collaborators, clients and stakeholders in ethically caring for and using animals for scientific purposes. Appropriate animal care and use is an integral part of sound, quality animal-based science. The CCAC Certificate of GAP – Good Animal Practice® that you have earned or will earn is a tangible symbol of your commitment to optimal animal care and use that is recognized both nationally and internationally.

There is considerable flexibility in the way in which each institution structures and operates its own animal care and use program. This new CCAC policy is divided into sections describing the various components of a complete animal care and use program, and provides guidance, and references to relevant existing guidelines and policies, for each component. The CCAC is introducing the new policy for senior administrators for implementation by institutions over the next year (October 2008 to October 2009). Existing policies and guidelines will be applied as usual by the Assessment Program during this period, and participants in the CCAC Program will be assessed based on the few new requirements in the policy for senior administrators beginning in October 2009.

We hope that you and your colleagues will find this new policy useful as you either build or review your own program. We invite you to ask us any questions you may have about this or any other aspect of the CCAC Program.

We look forward to continuing to work with you towards optimal animal care and use in science.