Massachusetts Beagle Bill Signed into Law

8.4.22 Today on Beacon Hill, Governor Baker signed ‘An Act Protecting Research Animals’ into law, otherwise known as ‘The Beagle Bill’ (H901/S613/S2992). The bill goes into effect 90 days from the signing, and serves as an Amendment to Chapter 140 Section 174D of the Commonwealth General Laws. While the law does not prohibit research or testing on dogs, it requires these facilities to determine which dogs (and cats) remain healthy enough to be adopted following the procedures done on them, and to offer them to rescues, shelters or individuals rather than euthanizing them.

The Aisling Center will be developing our “laboratories to loving homes” program to forge partnerships with MA-based research and testing facilities and animal shelters and rescues to find loving forever homes for the dogs and cats that have served as research and test subjects and are healthy enough to be adopted.

For more information or to join us in this effort, please reach out to us at info@theaislingcenter.org.

We are deeply grateful to Senator Bruce Tarr, Representative Michelle DuBois, and former Representative Carolyn Dykema for introducing this bill and providing continued leadership, to all of our Congresswomen and Congressmen who supported the bill, and to the many animal welfare groups that came together through the Massachusetts Beagle Freedom Coalition led by Cara Zipoli, to advocate for over five years for this legislation. We look forward to the day when non-animal methods and models replace all dogs in laboratory environments. Until then, we continue our efforts to provide them with the best possible lives.

More on the passage of the Beagle Bill can be read here.