Department of Comparative Medicine

Importing Animals from Outside Institutions

For exporting animals from the University of Washington, please visit the Animal Export page.

General Information

Importing animals from outside institutions requires special attention and can take longer to process:

  • Domestic sources: 2-4 weeks for processing and approval.
  • Foreign sources: 2-8 weeks for processing and approval.

Processing time may be extended based on the health status of the outside institution. To avoid delays, ensure all forms and information are complete when submitting to import@uw.edu.

Approval Processes

Several processes work simultaneously to approve import requests:

  • Animal Importing and Main UW Purchasing
  • Center for Commercialization
  • Office of Animal Welfare

These ensure legal compliance and timely processing. Please be patient during this process.

Most import requests are approved promptly if health reports from the outside institution are complete, up-to-date, and infection-free. However, if an institution is under quarantine due to an outbreak, approval will be delayed until the infection is controlled. The Rodent Health Monitoring Program (RHMP) assists in resolving such issues. In rare cases, approval may be denied if the institution cannot or will not eradicate infections. The investigator will be notified, and options like embryo re-derivation will be explained by the RHMP.

Animal Import Process Overview

  1. Submission: The Animal Import Form, along with all necessary documents, must be submitted in AOps by the UW PI or their lab staff. It is the sole responsibility of the UW PI and their lab staff to gather and provide all required documents for the import. If any documentation is missing from the initial request, the import coordinator will promptly return the request to the UW PI for completion.
  2. Verification: Protocol, budget, and housing request are verified.
  3. Veterinary Approval: Paperwork is sent to Rodent Health Monitoring for veterinary approval and quarantine assignment.
  4. Housing Approval: Request is routed to Animal Husbandry for housing approval.
  5. Shipment Approval: Once fully approved, the outside institution receives shipment approval from Animal Purchasing, and the requestor can view the approval PDF in AOps.
  6. Scheduling: The outside institution confirms the ship and arrival date with Animal Purchasing. The request is updated in AOps with scheduling information.
  7. Quarantine: Animals arrive and are housed in a quarantined room.
  8. Final Destination: After the quarantine period, animals are moved to their pre-approved final destination via a transfer request in AOps by facility supervisors and the DCM van.

Information Requested from the Outside Institution

The outside institution typically requires the following information:

  • UW Veterinarian: Christina Pettan-Brewer, P: 206-221-2441, kcpb@uw.edu
  • UW Shipping Contact / Import Coordinator: Amy Martinson, P: 206-543-0640, import@uw.edu

Initial Paperwork to Submit

  • Animal request in AOps: Refer to “How to Initiate an Animal Order” for Animal Import and NAV orders.
  • Current Health Status Reports: Must not be older than 3 months.
  • Price Quote or Invoice: Required if there are charges other than shipping costs to set up a PO for payment. For non-shipping charges like administrative fees, mark Q1 on the “Vendor Information” page in AOps as “Yes”.
  • MTA or other legal documents (if required): May include Material Transfer Agreement (MTA), Technology Transfer Agreement (TTA), Service Agreement, or Cross Breeding Agreement. Contact UW COMOTION for legal document queries.

All items must be submitted simultaneously in the AOps requisition. Upload documents in the “Supporting Documents” section after executing the “Submit” command. Health reports and MTAs should be uploaded directly to the AOps system, not sent to RHMP.

Transports within Seattle

You can schedule the DCM Van for transports from Seattle-based locations after import approval. Animal import fees may apply. Refer to the DCM rates page for current rates here.