In brief
The EPA's cutback on animal testing has opened a new opportunity for employees to adopt lab rats and zebra fish, ensuring these animals find loving homes as the agency shifts its research focus.
In a significant shift in policy, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting its employees to adopt lab rats and zebra fish, as the agency phases out animal testing. This decision follows substantial budget cuts to scientific research under the Trump administration, leaving many animals housed at the EPA's North Carolina facility in need of new homes.According to multiple sources familiar with the initiative, staff at the agency’s Research Triangle Park have initiated an adoption program for the lab animals previously utilized in chemical toxicity tests. A playful poster displayed on campus reads, “Adopt love. Save a life,” sparking interest among staff members eager to provide homes for the animals. Maureen R. Gwinn, acting assistant administrator of the EPA's Office of Research and Development, recently announced via email that the adoption program is accepting applications, although there may be a temporary hold as the agency refines the adoption criteria.Currently, the EPA is responsible for approximately 20,000 animals, primarily comprising fish and fish larvae. Others, including a pair of rabbits, were also part of the program but have since found their forever homes. With the welfare of these animals at stake, the move to provide them loving families marks a notable development in the agency's transition away from animal testing practices.
