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The University of Washington’s animal care and use program is proudly accredited by AAALAC International, a global non-profit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through voluntary peer review.

To maintain this accreditation, AAALAC will conduct site visits this summer to evaluate our facilities, policies, and practices. The Arizona site visit is scheduled for May 27th, and the Seattle site visit will take place July 20-23rd.

This site visit is an important opportunity to showcase the strength of UW’s research community and our shared commitment to high standards of animal care and welfare.

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Mesa, AZ April 15, 2026 –  The University of Washington (UW) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of animal welfare and regulatory compliance. In April 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducted an unannounced routine inspection of UW’s animal care program in Arizona, as required each year for research institutions regulated under the Animal Welfare Act. During this inspection, one non-compliant item was identified related to the Washington National Biomedical Research Center’s required annual review of contingency plans. Although the plans were in place and had been reviewed in March 2026, that review occurred 25 months after the previous review in January 2024, exceeding the required 12-month interval. This issue was self-identified following USDA’s inspection in Seattle in February 2026, and additional tracking and oversight measures have already been implemented to ensure all contingency plans are reviewed at least once every 12 months going forward. The inspection report is available on the “USDA Inspections Reports” page of this website.

Seattle, WA, March 19, 2026 – On February 19th, a pig from a recently received cohort developed respiratory illness and was promptly evaluated by veterinary staff. Despite appropriate clinical care and treatment, the condition progressed, and the animal was humanely euthanized the same day. This animal was experimentally naïve. 

Post-mortem testing identified respiratory diseases consistent with a mixed bacterial infection; the animal also tested positive for swine influenza. The university has reported this event to the Washington State Veterinarian as required and has notified the vendor. 

All animals were housed indoors, and appropriate containment and biosecurity measures were practiced throughout the housing and care of the animal. All personnel who had contact with the animal have been notified and followed up with, and there is no indication of transmission to a human. There is no known risk to the public at this time. The university continues to work closely with veterinary and regulatory partners to monitor the situation and ensure continued compliance with all animal care and public health standards.  

The University of Washington is committed to the highest standards of animal welfare, research integrity, and regulatory compliance. We are sharing this information to provide clear and accurate details regarding this health event in the university’s research program.

Updates and guidance on responding to requests from federal agencies can be found on the pages below.

These will be updated as information and guidance is released.

Stop-work Orders, Suspension of Work, or Funding Terminations for Animal Studies

Guidance on Federal Administration Policy

Federal Administration Updates

Stay updated on federal policy changes and their impacts
Visit the UW Provost’s office Federal Policy Updates website for the latest information on policy changes impacting our community, teaching, research, service and patient care.

The Animal Program has revamped the Shared Rodent Service (SRS) web application, introducing features that simplify and enhance the search process. Submissions are now more user-friendly, making it easier to quickly identify species, strains, and other key details.