(a) For purposes of this section, “animal adoption or animal rescue organization” means any collaboration of individuals or any nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to time, that has, as part of such collaboration’s or organization’s purposes, the sale or placement of animals that were removed from animal shelters, municipal dog pounds or an individual’s home.

(b) Each constituent unit of the state system of higher education, each public institution of higher education and each independent institution of higher education shall offer for adoption by an animal adoption or animal rescue organization any cat or dog that such constituent unit or institution of higher education possesses for the purpose of conducting research or testing provided such offer occurs after the completion of any such research or testing, such research or testing does not require the destruction of such cat or dog and such animal is no longer needed by such constituent unit or institution of higher education. Any constituent unit of higher education or institution of higher education that is required to offer a cat or dog for adoption pursuant to this section may enter into an agreement with an animal adoption or animal rescue organization for the purpose of complying with the provisions of this section.