Our mandate
The Animal Facilities and Animal Experimentation Services provide professional veterinary services animal care services and technical assistance to the research community at the IRCM.

Who we are
There are 38 employees working in the animal facilities and animal experimentation center. The Institutional Veterinarian, Director of the Animal Facilities and Animal Experimentation Services, and the Animal Facilities Manager are responsible for the daily operations of the animal facilities, and supervise a team of highly qualified Animal Health Technicians (AHT) and Animal Care Providers (ACP).

Animal Health Technicians (AHT)
Twenty Animal Health Technicians (AHT) provide technical support and services in our facilities which house over 15 000 cages. Their tasks include animal breeding, experimentation data collection and various techniques and procedures such as injections, blood sampling, anesthesia, surgery, euthanasia, etc. All tasks are performed according to approved research protocols to support research and teaching activities. AHTs are also responsible for ensuring that animals receive appropriate treatments after a consultation with the Veterinarian.

Animal Care Providers (ACP)
Sixteen qualified Animal Care Providers (ACP) see to the welfare of the research animals by providing basic animal care such as food and water, environmental enrichment, and cage changes. Their tasks also include daily observation of the health of the animals and reporting any abnormal behaviour or any deviation from their daily routine.

Our Mission

Become a highly reliable provider of animal care, veterinary services and technical assistance for the scientific research community of the IRCM
Promote and ensure animal care and animal welfare principles
Ensure supervision and training of animal users working in the laboratories and animal facilities
Enforce CCAC Standards and Guidelines
Our Vision
We want to promote the responsible use of animals in research activities, in compliance with the Three Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) philosophy, while ensuring humane treatment of laboratory animals and complying with the highest standards of animal welfare.

Our Goals
Maintain a good balance between daily operational efficiency and achieving our main goals:

Improve the quality of our animal care and animal experimentation procedures, and improve our training activities
Promote team work and mutual help practices in our animal facilities and animal experimentation center.