Adoption options for laboratory animals

The feedback from people who adopt laboratory animals speaks volumes. One recent adopter in upstate New York wrote the following: I am writing to thank you and your department for allowing us to adopt several of the cats from the dietary study.. My 86 year old father also took one. These cats show more intense Curiosity than most of the cats I've known in my long career as a cat owner, and possess no negative or annoying habits. My father's cat has become a surprisingly important feature of his otherwise lonely life... These really are the sweetest and smartest cats we've ever seen, and I highly rccommend them to anyone wanting a wonderful friend. People who adopt dogs, cats, or other former research animals often describe their new pet as 'gentle', 'inquisitive', and 'loving'. Some adopters may even spread the word among their friends, or get on the waiting list for a second adoption. Many laboratory animal caregivers and researchers would like to place some of their animals as pets in adoptive homes, and mice, frogs, horses, goats, and of course, dogs and cats, all may find their way out of the laboratory. These animals are in the minority, since most research animals must be euthanized for final tissue or data collection, or will otherwise be deemed poor adoption candidates. Nevertheless, is it incredibly rewarding for their caregivers, and presumably for the animals themselves, when healthy animals of good temperament become members of adoptive human families.