Animal Procurement

All animals acquired for use under approved Animal Use Protocols must be ordered or imported through DCM. This procedure ensures appropriate documentation of animals as required by regulatory agencies with oversight on animal care and use. It also ensures that adequate staff, caging and facilities are available to accommodate and care for animals when they arrive. 

Commercial Orders

Place all requests for animals in the LARS system.

The deadline for Canadian suppliers is 11:00 am Thursday for delivery the following week. The deadline for American suppliers is 11:00 am Wednesday for delivery the following week. All orders are subject to availability of the species and strain. Please try to place your animal orders well before these deadlines. We are unable to process most late orders due to supplier restrictions, otherwise, late orders will be subject to a $25 surcharge.

Animal orders are typically received on a Tuesday or Wednesday.  The animals are unpacked, given a health check and the cages are placed in the designated holding rooms.

Any discrepancies with your animal order should be reported immediately to the receiving clerk for completion of an unsatisfactory shipment report.  It may be necessary for one of the DCM veterinary staff to assess the problem so timely reporting is important.  Depending on the issue, you may be entitled to a replacement or credit. 

Import of Animals from a Non-Commercial Source

If you want to import animals from a non-commercial source, use the requisition process in the LARS system to start the process. The Animal Coordinator will contact you to ensure all the steps required to ensure a successful and safe transfer of the animals are completed. Once the health surveillance data from the shipping institution has been reviewed and the import approved, animals are received in DCM. They will then undergo a quarantine process to verify their health status before being released to general housing. 

Export of Animals from DCM

If you want to export animals to another location off campus, start the process by completing an external transfer request in LARS. The Animal Coordinator will contact you once the transfer is in LARS. They will provide health surveillance reports to the receiving institution and ensure the safe transfer of animals once a shipping date is agreed on.