NIH Greenlights Grant Funds for Animal Rehoming

As of October, National Institutes of Health grant recipients are allowed to allocate a portion of their funding to the rehoming and retirement of animals after their use in experimentation. This could provide second chances for animals who otherwise would have been killed after their time in research and testing came to an end. AWI has long called on grantors and research institutions to fund and facilitate retirement and rehoming of these animals.

Previously, the NIH Grants Policy Statement was interpreted to prohibit the use of federal grant money for rehoming or retirement efforts. This move marks the latest in a trend of both state and federal initiatives to encourage suitable retirements for animals who were used in experimentation (see AWI Quarterly, fall 2025). Work must continue to reduce other impediments to large-scale retirement efforts; increasing funding for sanctuaries and building networks of suitable adoptive homes for companion animal species are two key factors in expanding successful post-lab placement of animals.

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