Euthanasia Guidelines

For research to provide meaningful information, often, tissues must be analyzed in laboratory equipment. Many times this means those tissues must be collected from research animals, which requires that the animal be humanely euthanized.

The American Veterinary Medical Association, the national professional society for graduate, licensed veterinarians, has provided a set of guidelines for proper euthanization of animals in a pain free and distress free manner.

When any Texas Tech animal is being euthanized, the techniques must adhere to the University's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Policy on Euthanasia and be reviewed with veterinary input, and approved by the IACUC.

Texas Tech University recognizes that euthanasia is distressing, but still required for many animal studies. When possible, data collection methods are used, which allow the animal to live. In other situations, the animal must be humanely euthanized, for proper collection of animal tissue. When meaningful research requires those endpoints, Texas Tech adheres to the guidelines established by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

General guidelines for euthanasia at Texas Tech include:

• Animals will be euthanized only when necessary.
• Gentle, careful handling of subject animals is of the utmost importance.
• Measures should be taken to ensure that euthanasia is performed in a way that minimizes distress.
• No other animals may be present during euthanasia of another animal.
• Euthanasia must be carried out by personnel properly trained in the procedure being used. Many of the approved methods of euthanasia require technical proficiency for proper conduct and should not be attempted without prior training. Other methods may only be used with properly designed equipment. Animal Care Services personnel are available to train, assist or perform in proper animal euthanasia. Contact the Animal Care Services Veterinarians if you will need assistance in performing euthanasia in an acceptable manner.
• Experimental requirements will be considered when a method of euthanasia is chosen.

For more information on the agents, medicines, specific species recommendations and guidance used for proper euthanasia, click here.

OHP Guidelines

Zoonoses are listed below for each species. Please review each species zoonoses you will be working with.

• Amphibians
• Bats
• Birds
• Cats and Dogs
• Cattle
• Horses
• Ferrets
• Fish
• Laboratory Rodents
• Reptiles
• Sheep and Goats
• Swine
• Wild Mammals

OHS Guidelines

Guidelines have been established for individuals working with each species. Please select the species below you will be working with and review the guidelines that have been established.

• Amphibians
• Birds
• Cats and Dogs
• Ferrets and Rabbits
• Fish
• Laboratory Rodents
• Livestock - Cattle, Goats, Horses, Sheep & Swine
• Reptiles
• Wild Mammals

Burnett Center

Guidelines have been established for individuals working with at the Burnett Center. If you will be working at this facility please review the guidelines that have been established.

• Burnett Center
  
  

Regulations

• USDA Animal Welfare Act (7 USC §§ 2131 et sq.)
• PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
• Guide for the Care and Use for Laboratory Animals 2011
• Guide for the Care and Use of Agriculture Animals in Agriculture Research and Teaching
• Health Research Extension Act of 1985
• Good Laboratory Practice Act
• Controlled Substances Act
• National Science Foundation Grant Proposal Guide
• Guidelines of the American Society of Mammologists for the Use of Wild Mammals in Research
• Guidelines for the use of Live Amphibians and Reptiles in Field and Laboratory Research
• Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research by the Ornithological Council 
• Guidelines for the Use of Fishes in Research

Regulatory Agencies

• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Animal Welfare, US Department of Agriculture
  • USDA Certification 74-R-0108
• Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC)
  • AAALAC Accreditation No. 4823697
• Federation of Animal Science Society
• Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), US Public Health Service
  • OLAW Animal Welfare Assurance No. A3629-01 (expires 6/30/2025)
• US Environmental Protection Agency
• US Food and Drug Administration
• National Institutes of Health

Post Approval Monitoring

Texas Tech University is dedicated to providing humane care and treatment of animals used in research, teaching and demonstration. According to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide), oversight of animal activities must continue, even after after IACUC approval, to be in compliance with federal laws, regulations and policies. Therefore, Texas Tech University has initiated a post-approval monitoring PAM) program.

The purpose of the PAM is to work with, and in support of, investigators to confirm accurate and consistent protocol performance, and that animals are being used in accordance with federal regulations and approved IACUC policies, standard operating procedures and protocols. Monitoring allows for opportunities to refine research procedures and techniques, make recommendations for maintaining compliance, and ensure the animal's well-being. These observational visits allow investigators to address and/or correct any problems that may be moving towards non-compliance by adjusting methods to follow the protocol or to submit an amendment. The PAM is a facilitator for improving communication between the IACUC and investigator to help ensure compliance and the success of Texas Tech University's animal researchers.

PAM Coordinator

The current PAM coordinator/liaison working with investigators and the IACUC is Brittany Backus PhD

Dr. Backus received her B.A. in Biochemistry in 2007 from Texas Tech University. After receiving her undergraduate degree, Dr. Backus began working in an animal welfare research laboratory as a Research Aide, where she found a new passion for research and pigs. Brittany received her M.S. in 2010, and her Ph.D in 2013, with a focus on animal welfare and behavior and comparative medicine.

Dr. Backus' research interest in animal welfare science is studying the stress response of production animals to husbandry and industry practices, and investigating potential pain mitigation or environmental methods to improve the animal's well-being. Dr. Backus' research interests in comparative medicine are using the pig as a whole animal model for physiological or psychological disorders that have both human and animal benefit. Encompassed in her primary goal she evaluates the animals' response to challenges through the study of stress physiology, behavior (temperament, anxiety, and learning and cognition), immunology and neuroscience.

As a result of her background and her own ongoing research, she is uniquely qualified to assist in the evaluation of compliance, as well as being an invaluable resource to investigators and the institutions animal care and use committee's charge, and unwavering commitment, to animal welfare, in an environment that encourages high quality research.