Comparative Biology Resources Center

Purchase and Handling

All transfers, transports, purchases, imports, and exports of animals must be consistent with IACUC policy. The forms and documents referenced on this page may be downloaded from the Forms and Documents section and from the IRBNet library. Relevant SOPs may be found in the CBRC Teams group; contact ResearchIntegrity@etal.uri.edu for access. 

Purchasing Animals  

Purchasing refers to acquiring an animal from an approved commercial vendor and bringing it to URI. Approved vendors include Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.; Inotiv; The Jackson Laboratory; and Taconic Biosciences. 

  • To purchase animals from an approved vendor, submit a completed Animal Requisition Form, vendor quote, and PO to the Facility Manager and the CBRC account via email at least ten (10) business days prior to the requested arrival date. 

Importing Animals 

Importing refers to acquiring an animal from an external source (e.g., another institution or the wild) and bringing it to URI. This may only occur in limited circumstances and may require re-derivation and / or quarantine. Any costs associated with the acquisition of animals will be the responsibility of the researcher. 

  • To import animals, complete and submit an Animal Requisition Form and an Animal Import Form to the Facility Manager and the CBRC account via email at least thirty (30) business days prior to the requested arrival date. 

Transferring Animals 

Transferring refers to administratively moving an animal from one approved IACUC protocol to a different approved IACUC protocol. The recipient protocol must include the type and number of animals. If it doesn’t, the protocol must be amended to accommodate the transfer. In some cases, such as transferring animals that have undergone survival surgery, AV and / or IACUC approval might be required. 

Transporting Animals 

Transporting refers to physically moving an animal from one location to a different location. Animals may be transported within a single building (e.g., from the vivarium to the laboratory) by research personnel. Transport of animals between URI buildings may only be conducted by CBRC staff using the CBRC-owned vehicle. Transport between buildings by CBRC staff may be subject to fees as described in the Per Diem Rates and Additional Services Costs document. 

  • To transport animals between campus buildings, complete and submit an Animal Transport Form to the Facility Manager and the CBRC account via email at least three (3) business days prior to the requested transport date. 

Exporting Animals 

Exporting refers to sending an animal from URI to an external institution or location. Export of animals may only be conducted by CBRC staff using the CBRC-owned vehicle or by a shipping vendor. The researcher is responsible for all costs associated with the export of animals. 

  • To export animals, complete and submit an Animal Export Form to the Facility Manager and the CBRC account via email at least ten (10) business days prior to the requested export date. 

Acquiring Restricted Supplies from Covetrus 

Purchases of prescription items and medical devices from Covetrus must be submitted through the CBRC using the Attending Veterinarian’s license. 

  • To initiate the purchase of prescription items or medical devices from Covetrus, first request a quote from Covetrus. Then complete and submit a Covetrus Order Request.  

IACUC Forms and Documents