In the near future, we plan to re-introduce “The Beagle Bill” (a combination of SB 658 & SB 701,702 & 703 from Last Session) a comprehensive, bi-partisan bill that will defund painful dog and cat testing in Pennsylvania and shine a light on the scope of cruel and wasteful experimentation across our Commonwealth.
This bi-partisan legislation blocks cruel devocalization procedures, creates adoption opportunities for dogs and cats once their time in research has ended, and establishes basic protections for dogs bred for testing purposes. The bill would also ensure product testing companies utilize innovative non-animal alternatives when approved for use, accelerating the transition away from outmoded animal tests. By working to reduce or eliminate funding for painful experiments and procedures when alternative methods exist, requiring adoption and minimum care standards for dogs bred for testing, and focusing on the development and use of faster and more reliable testing methods, we can end cruel and needless suffering, save taxpayer money, and reform the use of animals in experiments. Our furry friends deserve better!!

Recent data shows that Pennsylvania laboratories, including state institutions of higher learning, house thousands of dogs and cats for this inhumane purpose. Alternate Methods do exist.

Our legislation will do the following:

Defund Cruel Testing

• Bar institutions from using state funds to support painful experiments on dogs and cats classified by the USDA as Col. D (Painful) and/or Col. E (Max Pain without any relief). This is similar to legislation enacted in the state of Virginia and passed in the U.S. House.
• Require institutions that use state funding for dog and cat tests to remain compliant with federal law in order to qualify for any state funding. A laboratory found to be non-compliant with federal law will lose eligibility to receive state funding for 1 year after the violation.
• Codify that no public funding shall be used to support surgically devocalizing dogs or cats in laboratories.

Increase Transparency

• Require institutions receiving state funds for dog and cat tests to disclose the amount of the state funding received, the amount of federal and private funding received, and clearly state in all public communications that “funding for these experiments was provided with Pennsylvania taxpayer dollars.”
• Require the PA Treasury to release an annual report on animal research directly or indirectly funded with state dollars, identifying:
  • the total spent on dog and cat experiments
  • the total spent on ALL animal experiments
  • a list of active and recently completed projects and their cost
  • the number and species of all animals used in those experiments
  • the number and species specifically of dogs and cats used in those experiments,
  • the source breeder or reseller of dogs or cats purchased with taxpayer funding for experimentation in the Commonwealth and
  • an explanation of specific efforts by the institution to refine, reduce and replace the use of animals in research during the preceding calendar year

Make Dogs and Cats in Labs Available for Adoption

• Codify a requirement that institutions receiving state funding make healthy dogs and cats used in experimentation available for adoption when they’re no longer needed for testing. Sixteen other states have enacted similar laws.

Protect Dogs Bred for Testing

• Prohibits the sale or import of dogs or cats bred by a kennel or by a person that has received certain serious or numerous citations for violations of the Animal Welfare Act as companion animals (pets) or for research purposes. Currently the Dog Law allows kennel licenses to be revoked from violations of PA Animal Cruelty laws or from similar violations of other state statutes. This bill extends that protection to violations of federal law.
• Requires those selling dogs or cats for research purposes to maintain records for individual animals and submit an annual summary of that to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Increase the Use of Non-Animal Alternatives

• Requires product testing facilities to use test methods that replace animal testing when they are approved for use by the appropriate regulatory agencies. As new methods are approved, Pennsylvania companies testing products such as chemicals, cosmetics, drugs, or pesticides would need to utilize these new technologies to avoid unnecessary animal tests.
• In addition to preventing needless suffering, non-animal methods often represent better science. Animal tests are poor predictors of human safety, with 90% of drugs failing during clinical human trials after having completed animal studies. Alternative methods, based on human biology, are much more likely to provide results predictive of human responses, while also saving time and lowering costs.

Pennsylvania can lead the nation in ending cruel and barbaric taxpayer-funded experimentation on our beloved dogs and cats while charting a compassionate, innovative and responsible path forward that not only will save countless human lives but the lives of countless dogs and cats!

Let's not be RUFFFF on our furry friends and instead let them have a PURRRRfect life!

CO-Sponsors from last session include Senators PHILLIPS-HILL, COLEMAN AND BROOKS

Please join us as a co-sponsor to help end the unnecessary and cruel treatment of these innocent creatures.
If you have any questions regarding this bill, please contact Don Beishl in my office at: dbeishl@pasen.gov

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 0328: 18-5561(b)(6)