The Biosafety Level 4 Zoonotic Laboratory Network (BSL4ZNet): Report of a workshop on live animal handling is the outcome of a 3-part workshop series designed to bring together researchers that work in high containment facilities to share best practices for BSL4-labs and animal handling. These workshops were held by BSL4ZNet, a network of government mandated organizations that are responsible for animal and human health in their countries. BSL4ZNet represents 15 partner organizations in 5 countries (Australia, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, United States). 

BSL4ZNet was founded in 2016 to help high containment laboratories communicate and support one another. BSL4ZNet has three working groups: 1. international response, 2. institutional cooperation and knowledge sharing, and 3. scientific excellence and training. The live animal handling workshops were run by the training working group between February 2018 and February 2019 in the USA, Canada, and Australia. The workshops included both discussion-based and hands-on training sessions on animal welfare, animal models, site-specific infrastructure constraints, health monitoring and humane endpoints, sampling procedures, and carcass disposal.