Animal Care Committee

The Saint Mary’s University Animal Care Committee (SMU ACC) is responsible for ensuring that animals used in research, teaching, or testing at SMU are treated ethically, and adheres to the highest standards for animal ethics and care in research and education in accordance with Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) policies and guidelines.

No animal-based work under CCAC mandate can begin until approved by the SMU ACC. All SMU faculty, staff, and students planning animal-based research or teaching activities, including direct or indirect use of animals or animal tissues in laboratory or wild settings, should contact the ACC Coordinator to first determine if their work requires SMU ACC ethical review and approval (for more information, see CCAC Policy: Requirement for submitting an animal protocol). This should be done at least two months in advance of any planned work.

For more information, contact the ACC Coordinator at animalcare@smu.ca.

Dr. Susan Bjornson                                                         Caila Henderson
Chair of the Animal Care Committee                                 Animal Care Committee Coordinator
Professor, Department of Biology                                      Atrium Building 210A
Science Building 538                                                         Phone:  902-420-5684
Phone: 902-496-8751                                                       animalcare@smu.ca 
susan.bjornson@smu.ca 

 

The SMU ACC is subject to regular peer review by the CCAC, which involves an evaluation of the animal care and use program, the effectiveness of the ACC to oversee the program, the welfare of the animals in their charge, and the appropriateness of Saint Mary’s University animal facilities, practices, and procedures. Assessments are based on CCAC guidelines, policies, and associated documents, and are conducted by CCAC assessment panels.

SMU ACC Terms of Reference

SMU ACC Membership

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Animal Care and Use Newsletter - April 2025

Animal Care and Use Newsletter - January 2025

Animal Care and Use Newsletter - September 2025

 

ACC review meetings will take place from 12:00-2:00pm on the dates indicated.

All submissions and inquiries to animalcare@smu.ca

calendar with important dates highlighted

Submission, Review, and Animal Tracking Processes

SMU ACC submission process - research protocols

SMU ACC submission process - teaching protocols

SMU ACC Review Process

SMU ACC AUDF Best Practices

Policies

SMU ACC Policy on PI Role and Responsibility

SMU ACC Policy for Reporting Animal Welfare Incidents

SMU ACC Policy on Post Approval Monitoring

SMU ACC Training Policy for Animal Users

SMU ACC Training Policy for ACC Members

SMU ACC Policy on Scientific Merit Review

SMU ACC Policy on Pedagogical Merit Review

SMU ACC Policy on the Adoption of Laboratory Fishes

SMU ACC Policy for Use of Avian Embryos

Animal Use Protocol Form - Laboratory

Animal Use Protocol Form - Field

Amendment and Renewal Form

Teaching Appendix Form

Animal Welfare Incident Report Form

Study Closure Form

For Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), please use the SMU Faculty of Science SOP template.

CCAC - Ethics in Animal Experimentation

3 R’s (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement)

CCAC guidelines: Animal welfare assessment

CCAC guidelines: Identification of scientific endpoints, humane intervention points, and cumulative endpoints

CCAC Categories of Welfare Impact (COWI) 

FAQ: Scientific Merit and Ethical Review of Animal-based Research

FAQ: Pedagogical Merit Review of Animal-based Teaching and Training 

Any concerns regarding animals used in research and teaching at Saint Mary's University can be reported to the Associate Vice President, Research (Dr. Adam Sarty, adam.sarty@smu.ca) and/or the ACC Coordinator (animalcare@smu.ca). The anonymity of persons reporting concerns will be maintained, and all reported concerns will be investigated.

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