COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri plans to encourage more people to adopt research animals.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports the university announced Thursday it will work with Homes for Animal Heroes, a program developed by the National Animal Interest Alliance.

The move comes as a group called Animal Rescue Media Education is suing the university for documents on the 179 dogs and cats used in research. The Missouri system has demanded more than $82,000 to locate and copy records for the Beagle Freedom Project organization.

Pat Wiese, coordinator of the new Missouri adoption effort, said the Beagle Freedom Project is a radical animal rights group that wants to end all animal research.

Kevin Chase, vice president of Animal Rescue, says the National Animal Interest Alliance wants to protect animal research.