Fleming College

All applicable Canadian and provincial regulations and standards are actively met and often exceeded. Fleming College is certified by the Canadian Council on Animal Care and licensed under the Ontario Animals for Research Act as a teaching facility.

The certification and licensing processes involve detailed reviews and audits of animal care and use to ensure that they meet the high Canadian and Ontarian standards. Fleming College actively applies the internationally accepted tenet of the Three R’s of replacement, reduction and refinement of animal use, within the provisions of the fundamental CCAC policy statement for senior administrators responsible for animal care and use programs.

The Animal Care Committee works to promote animal welfare and elevate some of the public concerns for animal experimentation by ensuring:

• the appropriate care of animals in all stages of life
• veterinary assistance in the case of sickness, injury or elective procedures
• regular site visits are undertaken
• each project is found to have scientific or pedagogical merit, through independent peer review
• the establishment and implementation of procedures corresponding with current veterinary standards

The Animal Care Committee has the responsibility to guarantee that no animal protocols move forward without prior approval. This involves:

• providing all ACC members and animal users with access to CCAC guidelines
• assisting animal users in completing and submitting the appropriate protocol form
• approving and documenting all modifications to approved protocols before they are implemented
• annually reviewing all on-going protocols
• Post Activity Monitoring (PAM) to ensure the numbers and use of animals was appropriate to the submitted AUP

The Animal Care Committee has the authority to:

• approve, decline or request modifications to animal use in teaching, testing or research
• stop any inappropriate procedure
• immediately stop any use of animals that deviates from the approved use
• if deemed necessary to prevent or cease an animal suffering, have the animal euthanized using methods as laid out in existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)

Our membership is overseen by our Vice – President, Applied Research and Principal, Frost Campus and is comprised of members from the Community (including a registered veterinarian), Student Body, Senior Management, Faculty and Support Staff.

The ACC has a diverse membership in order to ensure that all views are represented and considered during review of proposals to use live animals. Areas of focus during ACC review include justification for animal use, numbers of animals, animal procedures that will take place, impact of procedures, experience and skills of individuals to perform the procedures, and species-specific welfare considerations.

Our current Chair of the ACC is Jon Carter and can be reached at jon.carter@flemingcollege.ca.

For any questions or concerns please contact the ACC Coordinator Tara Douglas via email at tara.douglas@flemingcollege.ca

Our Animal Care Committee meets once every 2nd month.

Any faculty or scientist that requires the use of animals in teaching or research must submit an Animal Use Protocol form at least 1 week prior to the meeting so that all members of the committee have a chance to review the Protocol prior to the meeting. The AUP is completed and vetted with regard to number of animals required, how the animals will be impacted during the Protocol time frame and the legitimacy of the Protocol during the meeting and is either Approved, Rejected, or Returned for more information before Approval.

No animal use is permitted without an approved AUP.