About Animal Care A-Z

Welcome to the Animal Care & Use Program’s Research A-Z website! The Animal Care A-Z website is home to all animal care and use program guidance documents, including policies, guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), forms, and informational resources.

Documents on the website are updated on a regular basis to maintain consistency with all applicable rules and regulations governing animal research. These updates also include an extensive review of new and existing literature to ensure alignment with current trends and standard best practices in veterinary medicine and laboratory animal care.

Built with ease of use in mind, Animal Care A-Z offers many features:

  • A quick search of all program documents that can be sorted by topic (e.g., surgery, husbandry, anesthesia and analgesia, etc.), species, and/or document type (policy, guideline, SOP, form, informational)
  • Pre-sorted lists of most recently updated and most viewed documents
  • Color-coding that corresponds to each document type and help text that explains the purpose
    and intended use of each document
  • Each document follows a standard format, which includes:
    • Content broken down into collapsible accordion lists(s) for quicker browsing,
    • A date/time stamp denoting document approval date,
    • Contact information for the unit(s) that maintain the document so that you can reach out with any additional questions,
    • A list of related documents and topics,
    • Better integration and enhanced readability of embedded tables, charts, and images
  • Printer-friendly versions of all documents and the ability to email document links at the click of a button
  • Document update banners that tell you when a specific document has been updated, a brief summary of the changes, and how the changes may impact your research

Personalize your Animal Care A-Z website:

By logging in to the site with your Level-1 U-M login credentials, you can customize your documents and resources:

** You may also need to log in to view some documents. Access to protected documents requires valid Level-1 U-M login credentials and listing on a currently approved animal use protocol. **

We understand that keeping apprised of the latest rules, regulations, policies, and guidelines governing animal care and use can, at times, feel burdensome; however, we are confident that the tools and resources available through the Animal Care A-Z website will help minimize this burden by simplifying access to the information you need to achieve the highest animal welfare standards in the conduct of your research.

Should you have any general questions, concerns, or feedback about the Animal Care & Use Program’s Research A-Z website, please contact acu-communications@umich.edu.