Dogs Trapped In Labs Given Hope For A Loving Family

<p> Beagle Freedom Project </p>
<p> Beagle Freedom Project </p>

Thousands of dogs used for experiments could get second chances in loving forever homes - if a lifesaving new bill makes it through the Nevada state legislature.

The measure would require research laboratories that use dogs and cats as subjects to put them up for adoption when studies are over instead of automatically euthanizing them, the AP reports.

Nevada state Sen. Mark Manendo (D-Las Vegas) introduced the bill, advocating for the lives of the 65,000 dogs used nationwide for experiments yearly.

"Let's move some of these precious babies from incarceration to liberation," Manendo said in a hearing on Tuesday. "This bill simply gives innocent dogs a second chance."

Senator Manendo poses with rescue beagles (Facebook/markmanendo)

The rescue organization Beagle Freedom Project, which works to free and rehome cats and dogs used in laboratories, is promoting the measure, calling it "simple but important." They've also set up an online petition to support the Nevada bill.

The Beagle Freedom Project recently launched the Identity Campaign, a radical new initiative to find adoptive families for laboratory animals while they're still trapped in the labs. The program empowers the dogs and cats' new families to advocate for their safe release.

Laboratories in Nevada are countering the new bill by saying that releasing animals after two years, as the bill requires, would mean using more animals overall.

That's true, but the measure would be an important step towards improving the lives of lab animals. Without any protections, dogs and cats used in experiments are at risk of spending their entire lives as test subjects, just to be euthanized when their time in the lab is over. They deserve better, and in Nevada, they might just get that.

Visit the Beagle Freedom Project to learn more about what you can do to help dogs and cats trapped in labs.