Transfer of Animals Between Facilities.pdf
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- Q702--San Diego Research and Development Facility Initial Outfitting, Transition, and Activation Services
- Solicitation number
- 36C77626Q0136
About this file
This is a Standard Procedure document from the VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) Veterinary Medical Unit that establishes protocols for transferring animals between the VMU and other facilities.
The procedure mandates that all animal transfers occur only during normal VMU working hours and must be coordinated by the VMU Animal Care Coordinator. The animal elevator is the required transport method, with no after-hours transfers permitted. Personnel working with animals from other facilities must wear protective equipment (shoe covers, lab coats, hair nets, and gloves) and cannot enter the VMU for 24 hours following such work. The procedure specifies detailed disinfection protocols for transport containers, equipment, and facilities at multiple stages: prior to animal removal, upon arrival at receiving facilities, before animal exposure to equipment, and upon return. For animals being transported out of the VMU, containers must be sprayed with disinfectant before leaving the VMU and again upon arrival at the receiving facility's loading dock. When animals return to the VMU, containers must be disinfected prior to elevator departure and again before leaving the elevator. Animals housed in external facility cages must be transferred to clean VMU cages if remaining longer than 12 hours. Special provisions apply to short-term laboratory procedures (less than 12 hours), which permit a 20-minute waiting period after disinfection rather than immediate room placement. For animals entering the VMU, a VMU employee must receive them at the loading dock, with scheduling required at least one week in advance. Complete room disinfection, including floors, shelves, walls, and potentially ceilings, is required when equipment such as MRI machines are used. The document references related Standard Procedures on personnel access and laboratory animal transportation, with an automatic review date of August 2028 and Veterinary Medical Officer follow-up responsibility.
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VASDHS Veterinary Medical Unit Standard Procedure
Transfer of Animals Between Facilities
Transfer Between Facilities SP June 2025 Page 1 of 2
1 General Requirements
a. Transport of animals to and from other facilities creates the risk of transferring rodent diseases. Therefore, the following procedures must be followed. The animal elevator must be used. No keys can be given out for this elevator; therefore, there can be no after-hours transfers of animals. In addition, the Veterinary Medical Unit (VMU) Animal Care Coordinator must coordinate each transfer of animals to and from other facilities (even if only for short-term procedures). The VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) Animal Transfer Policy and the Transportation of Laboratory Animals SP must be followed.
b. Transfers must only occur during normal VMU working hours.
c. After working with animals from another facility, you may not enter the VMU for any reason for 24 hours.
Wear shoe covers, lab coats, hair nets and gloves while working with these animals. Remove these garments when leaving the room where they are kept. Leave any dirty equipment overnight in the lab area in a plastic bag that has been thoroughly disinfected on the outside. Take to 6th floor common use autoclave and autoclave any equipment that can be autoclaved. You may then take it to the cage wash area the next day.
2. Transportation from the VMU into Other Facilities
a. In addition to the precautions in the above documents, you must be sure to spray the outside of each transport box (microisolator caging or filtered shipping container) with disinfectant prior to removal from the VMU and place the boxes on a transport cart that is outside the room. Take the cart to the animal elevator and down to the East loading dock. Place boxes in an approved climate-controlled transport vehicle. Take transport cart to the dirty side of the cagewash room.
b. At the loading dock at the other facility, load the boxes onto a transport cart that is to remain in that facility.
Take the boxes directly to the lab or quarantine area designated by the staff at that facility; spray the outside of the boxes again with disinfectant and place them in the designated room. Follow the receiving facility’s instructions for disinfection and movement of transport boxes, even if more stringent than these.
c. If using equipment at the other facility, thoroughly disinfect the equipment prior to exposing animals to the equipment. In addition, thoroughly disinfect equipment when you are finished using it.
d. When returning animals to the VMU, place them in clean microisolator cages or filtered shipping crates on the transport cart and take this to the facility loading dock. Spray outsides of boxes with appropriate disinfectant. Place boxes in approved transport vehicle and take them to the VMU loading dock. Place them on another transport cart and take them to the VMU via the animal elevator. Spray outsides of boxes with disinfectant again prior to leaving the elevator. If they are in caging that belongs to the other facility, transfer them to clean VMU cages, and place them in the room designated by the Animal Care Coordinator and the VMO. Take the dirty cages to the dirty side of the cagewash area. If the other facility wishes to have their cages back, they must label them in such a fashion that the label will not be removed by the cagewasher. If they were only over at a laboratory for a short time (less than 12 hours), spray outside of boxes with disinfectant prior to leaving the elevator area, wait 20 minutes, then take them to their designated animal room. The VMU transport cart and the dirty cages are placed in dirty cagewash room.
3. Transportation of Animals into The VMU Or Other VASDHS Laboratories
a. Place animals in clean microisolator cages or filtered shipping crates on a transport cart and take this to the facility loading dock. Spray outsides of boxes with appropriate disinfectant. Place boxes in the approved transport vehicle and take them to the VMU east loading dock. Place them on another transport cart and take them to the VMU via the animal elevator. Spray the outsides of the boxes with disinfectant again prior to leaving the elevator.
VASDHS Veterinary Medical Unit Standard Procedure
Transfer of Animals Between Facilities
Transfer Between Facilities SP June 2025 Page 2 of 2
b. If animals are to be housed in the VMU, a VMU employee MUST be the one who receives them at the loading dock. Be sure to schedule this at least one-week in advance with the Animal Care Coordinator or designee.
c. If they are not to be housed in the VMU, they must remain at the facility for less than 12 hours, unless other arrangements have been made with the Animal Transfer Coordinator and VMO. Wear shoe covers, lab coats, hair nets and gloves while working with these animals. Remove these garments when leaving the holding room.
d. If they are in caging that belongs to the other facility and they will be housed in the VA for more than 12 hours, transfer them to clean VMU cages within their holding room, and place them in the room designated by the Animal Care Coordinator or VMO. Wear shoe covers, lab coats, hair nets and gloves while working with these animals. Remove these garments when leaving the holding room.
e. Thoroughly disinfect the VMU transport cart and any dirty cages that are placed in the dirty cage washroom.
The dirty cages from the other facility must be placed in a plastic bag and the outside of the bag disinfected prior to taking to the dirty cage wash room.
f. If using equipment at the VASDHS, thoroughly disinfect the equipment (e.g., MRI) prior to exposing animals to the equipment. In addition, thoroughly disinfect equipment and the entire room where animals were housed when you are finished using it. Disinfection of the room includes disinfection of floors, shelves, walls and, if directed, ceilings.
g. If animals are returning to the other facility, replace animals into their transport containers. Spray outside of each transport box with disinfectant prior to removal from the VA and place boxes on a transport cart that is outside the room. Take the cart to the animal elevator and down to the East loading dock. Place boxes in an approved transport vehicle. Arrange for the transport cart to be taken directly to the dirty side of the cagewash room.
h. At the loading dock at the other facility, load the boxes onto a transport cart that is to remain in that facility.
Take the boxes directly to the lab or quarantine area designated by the animal facility supervisor at that facility; spray the outside of the boxes again with disinfectant and place them in the designated room. Be certain to follow any additional procedures required by that facility for putting animals back into their Vivarium after having been to this facility.
4. Reference SPs and Documents - the following SPs should be referenced and read as part of the complete animal care program.
a. Access of Personnel into VMU
b. Transportation of Laboratory Animals
5. AUTOMATIC REVIEW DATE
August 2028
6. FOLLOW-UP RESPONSIBILITY
Veterinary Medical Officer
7. APPROVED
June 2025
8. RESCISSION
Version dated June 2022
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .