Animal Care Use Protocol Logs: Track Animal Use Free & Online

Animal research carries a duty of exact record-keeping: every animal used under a protocol should be traceable to a date, a procedure, and an approved number. This free log keeps protocol entries in a private list with running totals, so the numbers are ready whenever a committee or report asks for them.

What the tool does

You add one entry per use: protocol number, species, number of animals, procedure, and date. The tool keeps the entries in a list stored in your browser and shows the total animals logged overall. Entries can be deleted if entered in error, and the whole list can be cleared when starting a new reporting period. The log is deliberately simple, because a complicated system is the one researchers stop using, and an unused log helps nobody.

How to use it

Enter the protocol number exactly as your committee approved it, and use the same species spelling every time, since the log groups nothing by itself and consistent names make later counting possible. Log uses on the day they happen, not at the end of the month, when dates blur and numbers are guessed. Check the total against your approved protocol limit regularly, and raise any approach to the limit with your committee before it is reached, not after.

Worked example

A lab logs three entries under protocol IACUC-2026-014: ten mice for behavioural testing on 2026-11-03, eight mice for the same procedure on 2026-11-10, and four mice for imaging on 2026-11-17. The total reads twenty-two animals. If the approved limit is fifty, the lab can see it has used less than half, with room for the planned cohorts. If a fourth entry of thirty mice were added, the total would pass the limit, and the log would make that visible before the work, not during an audit.

Reading the results honestly

A total is only as good as the entries behind it. Missed entries understate use, duplicated entries overstate it, and both errors matter to animal welfare oversight. Treat the log as your own working record and reconcile it against official records, cage cards, or facility systems at least monthly. If the numbers disagree, trust the facility record and correct the log, since the facility record is the one an inspector will ask for first.

Honest limits

This tool is a private list in one browser. It does not connect to any animal facility system, does not enforce protocol limits, does not store welfare observations, and does not replace institutional reporting or ethics approval. Clearing browser data erases the log, so keep a backup of anything needed for official reports. It supports good record-keeping; it is not itself a compliance system.

Practical tips

Pair the log with a weekly five-minute check: compare the week’s entries against the lab book and fix discrepancies while memories are fresh. Keep protocol numbers visible in the animal room, so anyone logging an entry uses the right one. At the end of a protocol, export the habit, not just the numbers: note what counting method worked, so the next protocol starts with a working system.

Reporting at the end of a protocol

When a protocol ends, the log becomes the backbone of the final report: totals by species and procedure, dates of use, and any approach to approved limits, all in one place. Prepare the report from the log rather than from memory, and attach the facility’s own records alongside it, since committees compare the two. If the numbers differ, explain the difference honestly instead of adjusting one set to match the other; a documented discrepancy is a sign of careful oversight, while a silently adjusted total is a problem waiting for an audit.

Embed this tool on your website — free

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