Animal Care and Lab-Bio Safety

Laurentian University maintains and supports a policy for the responsible care and use of animals in research. Animal-related research allows us to gain knowledge essential to preventing and curing human and animal disease, eliminating pain and suffering, and in teaching for the purpose of scientific and technical education. Laurentian University co-operates and complies with all agencies in Canada regulating the use of laboratory animals. 

For questions related to animal care, please contact the Office of Research Services at research@laurentian.ca. 

Veterinarian | Rod Jouppi
rjouppi@laurentian.ca

Animal Care Coordinator | Manon Valiquette
mvaliquette1@laurentian.ca

Available in the ROMEO portal:

• Animal Use Protocol Form
• Wildlife Animal Use Protocol Form
• Application to Use Animals for Research: Management of Breeding Colony Form 

Other Animal Care forms, policies and standard operating procedures are available in Google Drive.​​​​​​

The Animal Welfare Concerns Report Form should be completed by any person who has witnessed or has direct knowledge of a situation that they believe jeopardizes animal welfare. This form will be automatically submitted to the Chair of Laurentian University's Animal Care Committee. All complaints and concerns will be addressed by the Chair as per the Procedures for Handling Complaints Concerning Animal Care and Use. 

Safety standards are designed to reduce the inherent risks in the handling of dangerous materials and potentially dangerous procedures or practices. All laboratories can be inherently dangerous places and the attitudes and actions of those who work in the laboratory determine their own safety and that of their colleagues and, ultimately, that of the community. Different standards are set for different levels of risk. High levels of risk require more stringent standards than lower levels of risks. Laboratory equipment and design have become more sophisticated and safer, but safe operation still depends on properly trained and genuinely concerned personnel, who are safety conscious at all times.

For certification for projects using bio-hazards or radiation, please contact Gail Cowper-Benoit at ext. 3061 or by email at gbenoit@laurentian.ca.

Lab Safety Policies and Standard Operating Procedures

Available in the ROMEO portal:

• Application to Use Radioactive Material
• Biosafety Risk Assessment Form