About OAV

The OAV has multiple responsibilities in support of the Institutional Program for Animal Care and Use at the University of Kentucky. The Attending Veterinarian (AV) is a federally required position and the lead veterinarian for the University of Kentucky. The AV reports directly to the Institutional Official and serves as a required member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The AV is responsible with ensuring that all vertebrate animals used in research, teaching or testing at the University are appropriately cared for and provided veterinary clinical care. The AV works with the husbandry and clinical veterinary staff of the animal housing units to optimize the animal care program including but not limited to preventive medicine, disease surveillance, clinical treatments, housing and husbandry. In addition, the AV provides guidance to investigators regarding appropriate anesthetics, analgesics, and tranquilizers for use in various species and provides oversight and guidance regarding pre-, intra-, and post-operative care of animals. 

The OAV also provides administrative support to the IACUC. OAV staff assist investigators in preparing and submitting animal use protocols and amendments, ensure the appropriate routing of animal use protocols and amendments to IACUC members for review, and facilitate the communications between investigators and the IACUC reviewers. The OAV staff maintains and distributes IACUC records, coordinates IACUC meeting agendas, and assists with the semiannual program review, facility inspections and report to the Institutional Official. Additionally, the OAV prepares the required regulatory reports for submission by the University.

The University of Kentucky Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) supports the Division of Laboratory Animal Resources as a fully accredited program with the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC), International, a voluntary peer review organization since 1966.