Senator Bruce Tarr pets a beagle outside the State House. (Carl Stevens/WBZ NewsRadio)
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Where do animals go after they are used in medical research? Often, they are euthanized. Now, thanks to proposed legislature, they might get to go home with a loving family.
The so-called "Beagle Bill" was proposed on Beacon Hill Tuesday morning. The bill aims to give the thousands of cats and dogs used in research testing a second chance as potential pets adopted through the MSPCA.
Brockton State Representative Michelle DuBois is one of the sponsors of the Beagle Bill.
"I think that this is a fair balance between protecting animals and still maintaining institutions' rights to do animal testing on dogs and cats," DuBois said.
The process would be limited to animals that aren't too negatively impacted from the trials.
"If the institution's own vet finds that the dog or cat is healthy enough for adoption, they shall take reasonable attempts to have that dog adopted out, either through the MSPCA or to an individual of their choice, or some other animal group," DuBois said.
Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr also supports the bill.
"These are animals that are making a tremendous sacrifice, so that our lives can be better, so that our lives can be saved," Tarr said. "We owe them the opportunity, when that work is done and when their service is complete, to have the chance for the life that other animals in our society have."
"Beagle Bills" are aptly named. Beagles are commonly used in research because of their calm behavior.
"This is our chance to do something and to show our sense of humanity, and our caring for animal welfare," Tarr said. "Just as the legislature has done since the earliest days of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."
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WBZ NewsRadio's Carl Stevens (@CarlWBZ) reports