| Giving Tuesday reminds us to count our blessings and give to help those in need. And who could need your friendship more than a forgotten dog, monkey, or mouse in a lab? Responding to that need with dedication and determination is our motivation and mission at AAVS. Thanks to your support, AAVS’s affiliate, the Alternatives Research & Development Foundation (ARDF) funds projects to develop humane, non-animal research models that are not only more ethical, but that also advance research and testing for human health. This is one of the most important facets of our work, and you make it possible. At a time when everyone is mindful of the importance of having biomedical research answers now, when they matter most, it's important to point out one of the main advantages in alternative methods: they are faster. Within days of the COVID-19 infections hitting the U.S., a company was testing a vaccine based on mRNA, while traditional researchers were just beginning to postulate about which animal model to use in testing. ARDF has funded numerous new approaches to scientific research, based on human cells and human responses. Projects funded by ARDF grants include: biochips to study liver disease progression and causes of premature birth; complex 3-D tissues to study serious human health issues such as juvenile cancer and autism; and development of “mini-brains”, which could revolutionize drug testing and be used to find treatments for diseases like Parkinson’s. Help fund the future of research with a gift for alternatives today! Animals don’t volunteer to be test subjects—they don’t have a choice. But we do. And we will not compromise on our goal to achieve full replacement of animals in science. Thank you for being part of this progressive movement that helps animals and people. | 
