Since most users of laboratory animals at Marshall University are faculty members of the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine the DAR is administratively integrated into the School of Medicine. The director of the Dar answers to the Associate Dean for Finance and Administration of the School of Medicine on matters pertaining to management and budget and to the Marshall University Vice President and Dean of the School of Medicine in matters concerning the care and use of animals.

The DAR maintains one central animal facility located in the Byrd Biotechnology Science Center (BBSC) and one satellite facility located in the Medical Education Building (MEB) on the VA campus. The central facility provides eleven (11) animal rooms and the satellite facility provides eighteen (18) animal rooms with areas reserved for such service functions as equipment washing, storage, animal receiving, veterinary services, administration, and personnel services. In the BBSC four special procedure laboratories and in the MEB two special procedure laboratories are maintained to support research and teaching endeavors.

The success of the DAR to support the teaching and research program at Marshall University is dependent on people: the teachers, the researchers, the technicians, and the laboratory animal care personnel. Communication and cooperation regarding project goals, special requirements, matters pertaining to animal health, and use of resources must be maintained between all groups involved. Beginning with the protocol of an experiment and continuing to the completion of a study, careful planning and clear communication are essential to create and maintain an orderly and efficient interface between the animal facility and the research and teaching laboratories.

The primary aim of personnel in the DAR is the continual upgrading of the research and teaching programs at Marshall University through proper care and use of laboratory animals. The DAR encourages comments regarding improvement of services provided by this department.

Goals of the DAR

•High standards of animal care
•Disease prevention through sanitation practices and traffic control
•Humane treatment of all animals used at Marshall University
•Training in the proper use and handling of laboratory animals by students, faculty, and staff
•Certification of DAR personnel by the American Association for •Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS)

Services offered by the DAR
DAR Office
• Procurement of animals
• Procurement of appropriate feed, bedding, cages, other supplies and equipment
• Invoicing for maintenance of animals
•Coordination of the Occupational Health Program for personnel having contact with laboratory animals
• Maintenance of registrations and accreditations Animal Resources Section
• Routine and specialized daily animal care
• Animal breeding colony maintenance
• Animal cage sanitation
• Monitoring of animal room environment
• Sanitation of animal facilities
• Animal housing space assignment
• Maintenance of facility and equipment
• Waste and carcass disposal
• Maintenance of facility security system
• Vermin control program Professional Services
• Animal use protocol review
• Animal health surveillance
• Laboratory animal medicine
• Cage and facility sanitation surveillance
• Animal restraint
• Animal anesthesia
• Assistance in animal use protocol development
• Instruction in use and handling of animals