Animal Welfare Concern

Do You Have Animal Welfare or Care Concerns?

If you suspect animal abuse, mistreatment, neglect, or non-compliance on a TAMU-CC Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) research or teaching protocol, please contact one of the following:

• Office of Research Compliance, Faculty Center 173 (361-825-2497 or 361-825-2892).
• TAMU-CC Attending Veterinarian (512-217-8623).
• Institutional Official, Faculty Center 178 (361-825-3881).
• Risk, Fraud & Misconduct Hotline (1-888-501-3850).
• Email IACUC at iacuc@tamucc.edu
• Online through Ethics Point (select Raise a Concern and follow prompts).

  • [Ethics Point is NOT an emergency service. Do not use this online site to report events presenting an immediate threat to animals, life, or property. If this is an emergency, contact TAMU-CC Police Department (361-825-4242).]

When making a report, please provide as much detail as possible, such as, institution name, date and time, location(s), animal species, animal numbers, protocol name or number, investigator(s), description of concern, incident or event, and any actions taken.

You are not required to identify yourself to make a report. If you do share your name, it will be kept confidential to the extent allowable by the law. Anonymous reports will comply with whistleblower policies, nondiscrimination against the concerned or reporting party, and protection from reprisals.

Regulatory Authority

The Texas Whistleblower Act protects public employees who make good faith reports of violations of law by their employer to an appropriate law enforcement authority. An employer may not suspend or terminate the employment of, or take other adverse personnel action against, a public employee who makes a report under the Act.

The USDA Animal Welfare Regulations provide protection against discrimination or other reprisals for reporting violations of the Animal Welfare Act (“whistleblower protection”). The regulations provide that, “No facility employee, Committee member, or laboratory personnel shall be discriminated against or be subject to any reprisal for reporting violations of any regulations or standards under the Act.” (9 CFR § 2.32(c)(4)).