For the well-being of animals

They work among us. The research teams call upon their expertise every day. Discreet, indispensable cogs in the research centre’s activities, working far from the media spotlight. Without them, the CHUM Research Center’s (CRCHUM) heart would stop beating! Spotlight on five employees in the management team during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

Considered an essential service, the CRCHUM’s animal facility, which provides care to research animals and ensures their safety and welfare, continued its activities throughout the pandemic. Through thick and thin, a team of some thirty employees stood together, with Hélène Héon, veterinarian and department head, at their helm.

“The first month was pretty tough going,” she recalled, emotionally. “After the initial shock, we had to reorganize the work of the animal facility, put prevention measures in place and continue our activities despite limited supplies of protective equipment and disinfectant, indispensable for our services. In this very special early-pandemic context, we had to focus on the care and welfare of the animals and on the needs of our staff so that we could work safely.”

Physical distancing, new hygiene procedures and indications for directional flow through the premises were among the arrangements that quickly became part of the routine of the animal facility staff.

There’s nothing surprising about the team’s willingness to adapt. Thorough compliance with hygiene procedures was always essential in the animal facility to avoid contaminating the environment with pathogens and skewing research results.

To maintain care quality, Hélène Héon and her team took a close look at the way their department operated and checked to see if it was possible to optimize it, given the circumstances. According to Héon, “After an in-depth analysis of different catastrophic scenarios, we realized that our procedures were efficient and that we were already working in optimal conditions. That’s good quality control!”

It is true that the CRCHUM holds a Certificate of Good Animal Practice from the Canadian Council on Animal Care, a national organization responsible for the development, implementation and oversight of high standards for animal ethics and care in science in Canada.

Her biggest worry was that the laundromat which was responsible for cleaning the rodent cages would be forced to stop its activities due to a case of COVID‑19 among its staff, which would result in the temporary shutdown of the animal facility.

Fortunately, neither the animal facility nor the research experienced any down time. As for the animals, they benefited from the ever-attentive and devoted care of a strong team where mutual assistance took precedence in spite of their fatigue.