USDA Policy #12 requires that investigators “consider alternatives to procedures that may cause more than momentary or slight pain or distress to the animals and provide a written narrative of the methods used and sources consulted to determine the availability of alternatives, including refinements, reductions, and replacements.” It is likely that in many cases, considerations of such refinements do not extend past the life of the research project.

However, in some cases the refinement process can continue beyond the end of the experiment, to the final disposition of the animal subjects. One such possibility is the development of a research animal adoption program; after all, not all experiments necessitate that the animals be euthanized at the study's conclusion. Breeders and control animals, as well as animals used in certain behavioral or dietary studies, may be perfectly suitable for transitioning to life in a human household.

There is a large pool of people looking to adopt animals, and the Humane Society of the United States estimates that between 3 and 4 million cats and dogs are adopted annually from American shelters alone. Laboratory animals can make excellent pets for a number of reasons: these animals may have already been through socialization programs, their health status should be thoroughly documented, and they will have received all of the necessary vaccinations.

In this issue, authors Carbone et al., (p. 37) discuss two institutional adoption programs—located at Cornell University and the University of California, San Francisco—and outline means by which a facility can work with the surrounding community to find homes for animals that are no longer needed in research. Whether a facility chooses to deal directly with potential adopters or to work with a local shelter to find homes for the animals, the development of a research animal adoption program can be highly rewarding for all involved.

Not only can a program of this type be a huge morale boost for facility employees by allowing some research animals to live out their remaining years with a loving family, but a research animal adoption program can also be a public relations boon for a facility. Facilitating the adoption of dogs, cats, rabbits, and even some farm animals, rather than euthanizing them, is direct proof of an institution's dedication to the full implementation of the '3 Rs'.

This is not to say that adoption programs should be implemented without careful consideration. Successful adoptions cannot be guaranteed and, considering today's litigious climate, the risk to the institution from a failed placement must also be weighed against the potential benefits.

Neither the Animal Welfare Act nor the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals specifically addresses the issue of adoption for former research animals, leaving it to each institution to decide whether to implement such a program. Adoption may not be right for every institution, but it certainly doesn't hurt to consider it, and the advice provided by Carbone et al., should provide food for thought.