Agricultural Animal Care & Use Program
   

ORIGIN OF AACUP

 

The Agricultural Animal Care and Use Program (AACUP) was created in July 2004 to assure the well-being of agricultural animals used in research and teaching at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  The AACUP draws on the resources of faculty and professionals with expertise in livestock species used in biomedical and production research and teaching.  Whereas the AAUCP provides services for the agricultural animal community at the University of Illinois, the Division of Animal Resources (DAR) serves similar roles for investigators who use laboratory animals. The AACUP and DAR work closely with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) to deliver comprehensive, high quality animal care.  Information about DAR and IACUC can be found at www.dar.uiuc.edu and www.iacuc.uiuc.edu, respectively.

 

STRUCTURE OF AACUP

 

  • The Attending Veterinarian for the AACUP reports directly to the Vice Chancellor for Research who serves as the Institutional Official for the Animal Care and Use Program. The Attending Veterinarian for Agricultural Animals is Dr. Dawn Morin. She has authority over the veterinary care program for agricultural animals used in food & fiber research, biomedical research, and teaching at the Urbana campus. These activities occur at the following units, which are managed by the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) or the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM):
    • Dixon Springs Agricultural Center (ACES)
    • Equine Research Unit (ACES)
    • Imported Swine Research Laboratory (ACES)
    • Large Animal Clinic (CVM)
    • Lincoln Avenue Dairy (ACES)
    • Orr Beef Research Center (ACES)
    • Physiology Research Laboratory (ACES)
    • Poultry Research Farm (ACES)
    • Surgery and Obstetrics Laboratory (CVM)
    • Swine Research Center (ACES)
    • Beef Cattle and Sheep Field Laboratory (ACES)
    • Veterinary Medicine Research Farm (CVM)
  • Dr. Morin is assisted by five veterinarians, referred to as Species Specialist Veterinarians in the AACUP.  These professional clinicians have advanced training and expertise with the livestock species at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There are Species Specialist Veterinarians for dairy cattle (Dr. Richard Wallace), beef cattle and small ruminants (Dr. Clifford Shipley), swine (Dr. Sherrie Clark), horses (Dr. Jim Brendemuehl), and poultry (Dr. Yvette Johnson). 
  • The AACUP veterinarians are assisted by a certified Veterinary Technician, Ms. Linda Brown, who is also available to help faculty, staff, and students with medical or surgical procedures.
  • The Coordinator of the AACUP, Dr. Vickie Jarrell, engages with the professional managers of the agricultural animal facilities to ensure that animals are housed and managed according to appropriate guidelines in the Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Agricultural Research and Teaching and/or the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. She serves as liaison for faculty, animal care staff, professional livestock managers, students, facility maintenance professionals, the IACUC and others involved in the overall program for the use of agricultural animals at UIUC.
  • The AACUP Secretary, Cindy Pruitt, is the primary contact person in the AACUP office.  The office is located in room 200A of the Large Animal Clinic.

Credentials and contact information for all AACUP personnel are accessible from the homepage of this website.

 

ASSURANCE OF ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

  • Each agricultural animal care unit at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a Health Working Committee, comprised of the Species Specialist Veterinarian, the AACUP Coordinator, the professional manager of the animal care unit, the faculty coordinator for the unit, and other faculty or staff members that use animals at that unit for research or teaching. The Working Committee addresses issues related to academic program goals for the animal unit, animal health maintenance, facility improvements and maintenance, general husbandry procedures, and occupational health and safety.
  • Each agricultural animal unit has a Herd (or Flock) Health Plan that is reviewed and revised annually by the working committee and approved by the Attending Veterinarian. Standard operating procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases are also reviewed and revised annually.
  • The team approach to quality animal care for agricultural animals used in research and teaching at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign includes regular and frequent communications between all of the stakeholders.  AACUP veterinarians conduct routine visits to each agricultural animal unit to address emerging animal health conditions and assess medical records. The AACUP Coordinator conducts routine visits to address current management and husbandry practices, identify needed facility improvements and facilitate services to the animal users.  In addition, the IACUC inspects each unit semi-annually as required by federal laws and regulations.  Weekly meetings are attended by professional managers of the livestock units and staff of the AACUP.
  • All use of agricultural animals in teaching and research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is reviewed by the IACUC.  The review and approval process includes scrutiny by a scientist and a veterinarian with expertise in the species of animals being used.  All protocols that may result in more than momentary pain or discomfort must include the appropriate use of anesthesia and/or analgesia.
  • Veterinary care is available 24 hours/day, 365 days/year. The Farm Animal Reproduction, Medicine, and Surgery  unit at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital provides veterinary care for animals housed at the Urbana campus while private clinicians or staff veterinarians provide care at the two outlying stations in southern and western Illinois.  Emergency contact lists are posted at each unit.

 

AACUP ACTIVITIES

 

The missions of the AACUP are posted on the homepage of this website. Specific activities of the AACUP include, but are not limited to:

  • Oversight of animal health and provision of veterinary care at the agricultural animal units
  • Development and implementation of herd/flock health programs and standard operating procedures for the agricultural animal units
  • Assistance to faculty, students, staff and others using agricultural animals for research or teaching. This includes:
    • Assistance with preparation of animal use protocols
    • Pre-review of animal use protocols before submission to the IACUC
    • Training in areas such as animal behavior and pain recognition, aseptic technique, euthanasia, and protocol-specific medical or surgical procedures
    • Technical assistance with anesthesia, surgery, or other procedures; assistance with development of surgical methods
    • Assistance with post-operative evaluation of animals
    • Assessment of animal facilities to develop strategies to accommodate the specific needs of researchers and teachers
  • Dissemination of information to animal users about laws, regulations, and policies related to the use of agricultural animals in research and teaching
  • Consultation for appropriate recordkeeping of animal acquisition, use, and disposition
  • Assistance to the IACUC with monitoring of protocol compliance and reporting of animal use

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 




 

  




   



   




   




   




   


     
     
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign