Service Animals in the Vivarium: Legal Requirements and Practical Solutions
Webinar Objectives
Each webinar aims to foster engaging discussions on proven program management and operational techniques to achieve specific goals. A research compliance expert will kick off the session by presenting ideas on the chosen topic. Participants will then engage in open discussions to refine and validate these practices. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions about the topic in advance to wggreer@umich.edu. During the webinar, participants can share their own institution’s practices and ideas to enrich the conversation.
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IACUC Administrators Alliance:
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Brief Agenda and Discussion Points
Overview
Navigating requests to bring service animals into vivarium space requires a thorough understanding of federal regulations, precise terminology, and thoughtful policy implementation. This webinar will provide clarity on the legal and practical aspects of accommodating service animals in research facilities while ensuring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act (ADAA).
Join us for an engaging session that combines legal insights with real-world solutions, equipping you with the tools to address these complex scenarios confidently and effectively.
What You’ll Learn
- ADA and ADAA Essentials: A concise overview of legal requirements and protections.
- Definitions Matter: The critical importance of understanding terminology—what distinguishes a “service animal” from an “emotional support animal”?
- Pets and Policies: How to address requests to bring non-service animals into the vivarium.
- Case Scenarios: Practical approaches to managing requests involving service animals in experimental animal spaces.
- Balancing Compliance and Research Needs: Strategies for ensuring regulatory compliance while maintaining the integrity of your research program.
Why Attend?
This webinar is ideal for IACUC administrators, compliance officers, and vivarium managers looking to:
- Understand the legal landscape surrounding service animals in research environments.
- Develop and implement clear, compliant policies to address requests involving animals in experimental spaces.
- Avoid common pitfalls while fostering an inclusive and legally compliant workplace.
Presenter(s) Biographies:
Standing IAA Faculty and Facilitators
Bill Greer, Assistant Vice President for Research, University of Michigan: Bill graduated from The Pennsylvania State University in 1985 with a degree in Microbiology. He oversees research compliance programs for animal care and use, biosafety, lab safety, controlled substances, and autonomous systems. Over his 30+ year career, Bill has held roles including Associate Director for Research Compliance, IACUC Vice-Chair, and Biosafety Committee Chair at Penn State, as well as production manager and safety director at Intervet (formerly Tri Bio Laboratories).
In 2005, Bill organized the first Research Administrators Best Practice Meeting, creating a platform for research oversight professionals to discuss programmatic concerns. He continues to facilitate at least five annual Best Practice Meetings focused on biosafety and animal care and use programs. In 2010, he chaired the founding committee of the IACUC Administrators Association (IAA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and serves as its president and board chair.
Since 2007, Bill has been an ad hoc consultant to the AAALAC Council, conducting institutional program reviews and assessments. He also served on the Council of Certified Professional IACUC Administrators (CCPIA). As an educator, Bill regularly lectures at conferences including PRIM&R, AALAS, BTAA, and C3, and facilitates IBC and IACUC Best Practice Meetings, continuing to support the IBC and IACUC administrative communities.
Ron E. Banks, DVM: received his veterinary degree from Auburn University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, and retired a Colonel from the United States Army Veterinary Corps. After postings as the Director, Center for Comparative Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado; and Director, Office of Animal Welfare Assurance at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; and the Director, Division of Comparative Medicine, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; he is currently retired. Along his professional journey he has contributed as Council Member on AAALAC’s Council on Accreditation; Chairman of the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee; Board Member for the IACUC Administrator’s Association; and Fellow of the National Academies of Practice. Dr. Banks is board certified with the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine; the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine; and he is a Charter Diplomate of the American College of Animal Welfare.
United States
IACUC Administrators Association Nonmembers | $75.00 |
IACUC Administrators Association Members | $0.00 |