At UCSC, animal orders originate with the PI and then go to through
the Natural Sciences Purchasing Office. Presently the only exception
to this is rabbits for use in polyclonal antibody production which
are ordered by the Vivarium and recharged to the PI. It is therefore
incumbent on the investigator to keep the Vivarium informed about
incoming animal shipments.
New Investigators or Projects
If you have not used the facilities at the UCSC Vivarium before, and you are submitting an Animal Use Protocol to the Chancellor's Animal Research Committee (CARC), you will need current per diem rates. You should also talk to the Senior Animal Technician to be sure that the Vivarium will be able to provide the necessary housing and care for your animals.
Approval of your protocol does not automatically guarantee you space in the Vivarium. Before you order any animals, you must consult with the Senior Animal Technician to be sure that space can be made available to house them. The earlier you do this, the better we are able to accommodate your animals.
These conditions also apply to current users who have new projects
that will significantly increase their needs for space or equipment.
Ongoing Projects
If you have an ongoing project using animals, you still must inform the Vivarium staff of any incoming animal shipments. We need to have sufficient caging materials ready to receive incoming animals. Ideally we should have several days notice of incoming animals, but even a few hours notice is better than the completely unexpected box of animals.
Shipments can also be delayed or get lost. If we are unaware of shipment, we can make no effort to track it and the results can be tragic. For overnight shipments using commecial carriers, you should always request that the shipper notify you by phone or email when the animals have been picked up and provide you with a tracking number. If you then forward this information to the Vivarium, we can track the shipment for you.
Vivarium Contact Information
Senior Animal Technician: Jeff Waldron
Phone: (831) 459-2376
Email: jwaldron@cats.ucsc.edu