We’ve uplifted a lot of animals to human-level intelligence.  Gorillas and the other simians were easy from what I understand.  Dolphins and similar guys were already high on the sentience list.  We did cats and dogs too.  Opposable thumbs and usable fingers and all systems are go.  The trick I guess was making the changes genetically dominant so their kids were the same.  But I’d really like to shoot the idiot that let those experimental rats escape.