Animal housing and care

Animal Care Services (ACS)

Our office is committed to providing excellence in research support to all UVic researchers.

All research with animals must receive approval from the Animal Care Committee (ACC) before commencing. 

In addition to our housing facilities and services for animals, ACS provides veterinary and diagnostic services as well as training and expertise in laboratory animal medicine.  This office also provides veterinary oversight of all animal facilities at UVic. 

Looking for Research and teaching with animals?

Our Veterinary Director can provide assistance with:

  • Choosing of animal-based models
  • Training staff & researchers
  • Interpretation of regulatory guidelines, policies, & procedures
  • Animal Use Protocol (AUP) planning & writing
  • Design & implementation of experimental procedures
  • Choosing & use of medications and reagents for experimental protocols
  • Feedback on procedures
  • Troubleshooting challenges or abnormalities
  • Diagnostics & data analysis
  • Guidance on writing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
  • Animal Care Committee queries

Our Animal Health Technicians (AHTs) can assist you with:

  • All technical procedures & health related matters for laboratory animals
  • Treatment options for laboratory animals
  • Acquisition of drugs and supplies
  • Post-procedural monitoring of animals
  • Colony management & trouble-shooting
  • Ordering & shipping animals
  • Developing technical Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
  • Preparing or amending Animal Use Protocols (AUPs)
  • Training for researchers in basic & advanced assessment of animal health & performance of technical procedures

Our Registered Laboratory Animal Technicians (RLATs) can assist you with:

  • Specialized housing, equipment, breeding & dietary needs for all laboratory animals
  • Adjusting & maintaining animal environments
  • Providing use of enrichment for laboratory animals 
  • Sanitization & maintenance of all animal & procedure rooms
  • Education on the operation & maintenance of equipment
  • Guidance on writing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
  • Training for researchers in basic & advanced husbandry procedures for standard & immunocompromised rodents
  • Establishing researcher & technician partnerships within our "running-mate" program

Our Aquatics Technicians can assist you with:

  • Maintenance of aquatic animal husbandry & health
  • Water quality maintenance & reports
  • Project/Lab set-up & removal
  • Broodstock maintenance
  • Supplying animals & animal use tracking
  • Guidance on writing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
  • Training for researchers in basic & advanced husbandry & technical procedures for aquatic animal species

The Animal Care Services Liaison can assist you with:

  • All enquires about Animal Care Services (ACS) and the Animal Care Committee (ACC)
  • Enrollment in education & training programs
  • Access to facilities
  • Locating and reviewing SOPs
  • Submission of AUPs to the ACC
  • Placing animal orders

Welcome!  If you have any questions, please contact the Animal Care Services Liaison at acsc@uvic.ca or 250-853-3187

1. Your Training Checklist - use this form to keep track of the requirements and your accomplishments. 

2. Facility Access Application

3. Handbook for Investigators, Graduate Students and Laboratory Personnel - please check back as the Handbook is currently being updated.

4. Training Program

Click here to enrol in a Training Lab.

5. Lending Library - Staff and researchers are invited to utilize a variety of books available on a selection of topics related to laboratory animals.

For assistance, please contact either the Animal Health Coordinator:  acsaht@uvic.ca  or the Aquatic Unit Coordinator:  ascaqua@uvic.ca

Please follow this template to create a new SOP for submission to the ACC.

NEW!  Use the Table of Contents to locate the folders that contain the mammalian SOPs you need.    

To access SOP folders for: rodents, rabbits, and wildlife, click here.  

To access SOP folders for:  fish, reptiles, and amphibian species, click here.

If you require assistance, please contact the Animal Care Services Liaison at acsc@uvic.ca. 

How to order your animals:

From Commercial sources e.g. Charles River, Jackson Labs, Taconic - TO BE UPDATED SOON!

From Non-commercial sources e.g. other universities/institutions - TO BE UPDATED SOON!

For aquatic animals:

We are here to help you in your research needs:

Veterinary Director acsvet@uvic.ca

Animal Health Coordinator acsaht@uvic.ca

Animal Husbandry Coordinator acshouse@uvic.ca

Aquatics Coordinator acsaqua@uvic.ca

Animal Care Services Liaison acsc@uvic.ca

If you are working after hours (i.e. before 8:30am, or after 4:30pm, 7 days per week) at any of the animal care or aquatics facilities and you experience an animal health or equipment-related emergency, please contact CAMPUS SECURITY (x7599).  On-call personnel will be notified of the emergency immediately.