AAVS Celebrates Sanctuary Life

“Companionship has brought a quality of life to Mars...that even the best caregiving practices couldn’t match.”

Mars was singly housed at a lab, which is perhaps the greatest cruelty for social animals like primates. Not only did he suffer from loneliness while in the lab, but he also carried this trauma into sanctuary life, and it’s been hard for him to trust and develop relationships. But as noted by a primatologist at Primates Incorporated, having a best friend like Timon has made all the difference!

Primates Incorporated gave Mars and Timon the special support they needed to make their friendship happen. This is something that a sanctuary can best provide and it’s why our support for sanctuaries and the animals in their care has been such an important part of AAVS’s mission—we’ve been doing it for over 40 years!

This week, we mailed checks to this year’s sanctuary grant recipients, just in time for the holidays!

This support is especially needed now, as budgets get tighter due to continued rising costs affecting everyone. To help, AAVS supplemented each of this year’s grants with additional funds to help cover the cost of veterinary care. Over the past several decades, AAVS has awarded over $4 million to sanctuaries caring for animals released from labs, and our Sanctuary Fund remains one of our most rewarding programs.

We believe that our advocacy to free animals from labs is complete only when it includes a commitment to the care of individual animals. We’re so happy to share how your donations are helping animals recover from their use in research. Your support of the Sanctuary Fund truly makes a difference!

Thank you!