Breeding without research

Abstract

Sometimes an animal breeding protocol is like an overflowing bathtub: water continues to flow in and spill out, but the amount of water in the tub stays the same. Dr. Jonathan Spencer had a breeding colony of Xenopus frogs that was like the bathtub. Animals came and went, but all of the available tanks were always occupied. Kyle Sawyer, the animal facility supervisor, suspected that something was amiss because he never saw any requests to transfer frogs from Spencer’s breeding protocol to his research protocol. After talking with the animal care technicians, Sawyer found that many frogs had been euthanized on Spencer’s request. He asked the technicians what they thought the problem might be, and they quickly responded that there was no problem at all. Spencer continued to breed the frogs and then euthanize them when space ran out. This had been going on for more than a year. So Sawyer delved deeper. He found that Spencer’s IACUC protocols were approved for breeding nearly 1,000 frogs over a 3-year period and that he was approved to use half of them (females) for his research needs. Not knowing how to proceed, Sawyer went to the chairman of his IACUC. Sawyer’s basic concern was that frogs were being bred and euthanized but not used for research. He considered this a waste of life and wanted the IACUC to check Spencer’s breeding and experimental records because the animal care technicians said that both males and females were being euthanized. The chairman understood Sawyer’s concern and was sympathetic but noted that Spencer had an approved protocol for breeding and that the euthanasia method was approved by the IACUC; in general, he felt that the IACUC should investigate concerns only when there was evidence of protocol non­ compliance or animal abuse. In his opinion, neither had occurred. Nevertheless, he said he would bring the matter to the IACUC at its next meeting. Before the full committee meeting was held, the IACUC determined that the observations of the animal care technicians were accurate. Spencer was breeding and euthanizing frogs and not using them for his approved research. When Spencer himself was questioned, he said that he had experienced some unforeseen delays but that he would start using the animals in the near future.What do you think this IACUC should do now in light of the facts presented?