Qualified research facilities adoption program

1. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires: a. “Animal rescue organization” means a person other than an animal shelter operating on a nonprofit basis to place unwanted, abandoned, abused, or stray dogs or cats in permanent adopted homes as provided by rules adopted by the department. b. 1. “Qualified research facility” means a research facility, including but not limited to a regents institution, that conducts experiments on dogs or cats for research, education, testing, or another scientific purpose; and that receives moneys from the state or federal government. 2. “Qualified research facility” includes a research facility that conducts experiments on dogs or cats for research, education, testing, or another scientific purpose, in collaboration with a research facility described in subparagraph (1). c. “Retired animal” means a dog or cat confined at a qualified research facility, if the dog or cat has been previously used for research, education, testing, or another scientific purpose; and the dog or cat is no longer required to be confined by the qualified research facility for any of those purposes. 2. A qualified research facility shall establish an adoption program for retired animals confined at the qualified research facility for placement in a permanent adoptive home. In order to be eligible for adoption under the program, the retired animal must have no substantial medical condition, and pose no safety risk to the public, that would prevent the dog’s or cat’s successful integration into a permanent adoptive home. 3. Once a dog or cat becomes a retired animal and is eligible for adoption under the adoption program, the qualified research facility must do at least one of the following: a. Offer to transfer ownership and custody of the retired animal to an animal shelter or animal rescue organization to facilitate the transfer of ownership and custody of the retired animal to a person for placement into the person’s permanent adoptive home. A qualified research facility must enter into an agreement with one or more animal shelters or animal rescue organizations electing to participate in the program. b. Offer to transfer ownership and custody of the retired animal to a person for private placement in the person’s permanent adoptive home according to an arrangement agreed to by the qualified research facility and the person.