The funds requested in this application will be used to renovate the central cage wash area to meet the standards of the Guide for the Care and Use of Animals. To accomplish these goals, the entire wash room environment must be renovated, old equipment replaced or renovated, and the wash area ventilation system improved to protect the animal care personnel from potential health hazards that exist in the hot moist environment of the animal care wash area. Associated with the rapid growth of the Oregon Health Sciences University is the requirement to continually improve the central cage washing support area with new technology. The Department of Animal Care operates a central laboratory facility at the Oregon Health Sciences University campus and a 178 acre farm near Hillsboro, Oregon. The animal care facilities are AAALAC accredited; however, the twenty-six year old facility requires continual renovation, to adequately maintain the standards of animal care that are described in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The 43,000 sq.ft. Animal Care Facility is divided into five major animal care sections. 1) The second floor of the central facility houses rodents and rabbits; 2) the first floor of the central facility houses large animals such as sheep, dogs, pigs, and monkeys; 3) the campus quarantine facility at the University Farm houses dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and newborn lambs; 4) the Dental School houses dogs, cats, rabbits, rats, and mice; and 5) the Vollum Institute houses rats, mice, monkeys, rabbits, and fish. With the addition of two new institutes presently being constructed on campus (Casey Eye Institute and the Center for Research in Occupational and Environmental Toxicology) the wash room area will be required to support an additional 10,000 sq. ft. of animal care space on campus next year. The long term objective of this application is to renovate the cage washing area; so that it provides adequate equipment and working environment to both meet the standards of the and provide a comfortable and safe environment for the animal care personnel to work in the future.
