Healthy Dogs and Cats Who Have Completed Their Time in Research Deserve Loving Homes!

SB 422 / HB 665 updates the widely supported “Beagle Bill,” also known as the Beagle Freedom Act, which Maryland legislators overwhelmingly passed in 2018. The purpose of that law was to allow healthy dogs and cats used in research—after they had served their purpose—to be adopted into loving homes. However, the original legislation lacked mechanisms to ensure that its goals were being consistently and effectively carried out.

This bill addresses that gap by requiring research and testing facilities to report annually to the Department of Agriculture the number of dogs and cats used in experiments and the number adopted after research concludes. Colleges and universities would also be required to submit the results of federal inspections to the General Assembly.

Specifically, the bill holds institutions that conduct research on dogs and cats accountable by requiring them to disclose the number of animals they own and use, the number released to animal rescue organizations after testing, and the names of those organizations. Information regarding compliance with the law would be made publicly available on the Department of Agriculture’s website. In addition, any school or institution of higher education conducting animal research must submit an annual report to the General Assembly detailing inspection results by December 31.

The goal of this legislation is to ensure that research institutions, testing facilities, and institutions of higher education are doing everything possible to allow healthy dogs and cats—who have already endured significant suffering—to be placed into safe, loving homes.

Please contact your legislators and ask them to SUPPORT SB 422/HB 665!