Pennsylvania Bill Would Curtail State Funding for Lab Experiments on Dogs and Cats

Pennsylvania Sen. Doug Mastriano with supporters of his bill, Senate Bill 658, that would prevent institutions from using state funds to support painful experimentation on dogs and cats, at the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg on May 2, 2023. The beagles pictured were among 4,000 rescued from a Virginia breeding facility for dogs used in experimentation. Courtesy of Sen. Doug Mastriano

It is commonly said that researchers favor using beagles in lab experiments because they are a gentle and compliant breed.

Nearly 4,000 beagles were rescued in July 2022 from the Envigo breeding facility in Cumberland, Virginia. These dogs were to be sold to laboratories for experimentation, but the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Envigo RMS, the facility’s owner, alleging that the company was failing to provide the dogs with humane care as required by the Animal Welfare Act.