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     The bipartisan Beagle Freedom Bill, SB 414, relating to: requiring animal testing facilities and breeders to offer certain dogs and cats for adoption to releasing agencies and providing a penalty, was introduced into the WI State Senate on Sept. 4, 2025 by Senators Wanggaard, Carpenter, Habush Sinykin, Ratcliff, Spreitzer, Keyeski and Jagler, and cosponsored by Representatives Kitchens, Joers, Armstrong, Udell, Miresse, DeSmidt, Piwowarczyk, Maxey, Palmeri, Kreibich, Bare, Goodwin, Donovan, Sheehan, Anderson, Sinicki, Behnke, Melotik, Mursau and Stubbs. It was referred to the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development..

     On September 19, 2025, the companion bill, AB 436, was Introduced into the Assembly by Representatives Kitchens, Joers, Armstrong, Udell, Miresse, DeSmidt, Piwowarczyk, Maxey, Palmeri, Kreibich, Bare, Goodwin, Donovan, Sheehan, Anderson, Sinicki, Behnke, Melotik, Mursau and Stubbs; and cosponsored by Senators Wanggaard, Carpenter, Habush Sinykin, Ratcliff, Spreitzer, Keyeski and Jagler. It was referred to the Assembly Committee on State Affairs.

     The bill as written has a truly bipartisan group of co-sponsors, and another, Rep. Billings, was added on November 4, 2025, and Representative Steffen, on November 19.

From the Co-Sponsorship Memorandum on the original bill:

     Animals subjected to animal testing and research deserve a fair shot at a new beginning. Often these animals have never had a real home, a loving family, or a chance to run outside in fresh grass.

     Under current state and federal law, there is no statutory requirement for research organizations and animal testing facilities to observe an adoption period and make an active effort to find a family or adoption agency that will take in these dogs and cats.

     More than 15 states have passed laws requiring animal testing facilities to allow dogs to be adopted including our neighboring states of Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan.

     This bill would require research and testing institutions to hold a mandatory three-week adoption period where dogs and cats are able to be transferred to adoption agencies or directly adopted. Institutions that do not comply with the required adoption period will be subject to a fine no higher than $5,000.

This sounds like a no-brainer to us, but opposition from some of the facilities that would be affected was been immediate and vocal.

SENATE/ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT 1:

     On November 4, 2025, Senate Amendment 1 and Assembly Amendment 1 were proposed, according to a staffer for Sen. Wanggaard, after his office had been working with several research facilities on this bill -- no surprise that these facilities were opposed to it as written. This new amendment would:

• Add that the welfare of the animal will be considered when determining whether an animal is suitable for adoption. That should go without saying, since this is the entire purpose of the law.

• Clarifies that the professional judgment of the research veterinarian will be used to determine whether an animal is suitable for adoption, based on the welfare of the animal. Certainly the input of the research veterinarian should be taken into consideration, but it seems to us that giving him/her the final say would be like putting the fox in charge of all of the henhouses.

• Allows private adoptions for research facilities and breeders. Oh, hell, no! "Private adoptions" very likely equals SALE. NO ethical breeder would take a dog from a "research facility" for breeding -- so, this provision is essentially advocating release/sale of the dogs to puppy millers. And -- "private adoptions to research facilities?" Instead of being allowed to live the rest of their lives in freedom, the lab dogs could potentially go right back into a hell hole like Ridglan Farms!

• Requires facilities to retain their own records for 12 months, available at DATCP’s request, and exempt from public records. Absolutely NOT! This in itself should be a total non-starter, a totally unacceptable precedent that would remove ALL transparency. The labs could be back to doing whatever they wish with the dogs, with no way for the public or regulating agencies to police them.

• Removes the penalty for recordkeeping requirements. With exemption from public records and NO penalty for not keeping the required records, the animals would be in a worse position than they are at present!

     The amendment undermines the intent of the bill by handing control over adoptions entirely to the animal research institutions. It allows them to decide whether animals used in experiments are ever made available for adoption, shields their records from public oversight by exempting them from open-records laws, and eliminates penalties for failing to maintain or produce adoption records.

    Read Senate Amendment 1 here      Find your WI State Representatives   

Original Bill Summary (by the Legislative Reference Bureau):

     "This bill requires animal testing facilities and persons that breed cats or dogs for sale or transfer to an animal testing facility to offer to a releasing agency for eventual adoption certain dogs and cats that do not pose a risk to public health. A “releasing agency” is defined to mean an animal shelter, humane society, animal welfare organization, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, home-based rescue, or other entity that provides individuals with animals for adoption as companion animals. The bill requires that, if an animal testing facility is operated by a state agency or an institution of higher education, the state agency or institution of higher education may develop its own internal adoption program to effectuate the requirements of the bill.

     "The bill also requires animal testing facilities and breeders to annually report to the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection certain information about the dogs and cats that they offer to transfer to releasing agency.

     "A person who violates the provisions of the bill shall be subject to a forfeiture not to exceed $5,000."

PLEASE NOTE: Senate/Assembly Amendment 1 (see above) would totally eliminate all reporting requirements AND put the disposition of the dogs entirely back in the hands of the research facilities. In effect, the amendment would be a giant step BACKWARD for lab animals.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

     General guidelines for contacting your representatives: Try to keep your message brief, and be sure to give your name, complete mailing address, and phone number. Let your representative know that you are a constituent. Please, ALWAYS be polite and respectful. Name-calling, and rude or abusive letters or emails will hurt, rather than help, our cause.

• PLEASE Contact ALL members of the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development. and the Assembly Committee on State Affairs and ask them to SUPPORT SB 414/AB 436, the WI Beagle Freedom Bill, WITHOUT AMENDMENT, requiring animal testing facilities and breeders to offer dogs and cats for adoption to releasing agencies! Also ask them to OPPOSE Senate/Assembly Amendment 1. Please note: If you are a constituent of any of these Committee members, let them know that. It is also a good idea to email the Committee Clerk.

  • Put "YES to SB 414/AB 436, the WI Beagle Freedom Bill, UNAMENDED and NO to Amendment 1" in the Subject line.

  • All you need to say in the email is: Dear [ ], I am writing to ask you please to SUPPORT SB 414/AB 436, the WI Beagle Freedom Bill UNAMENDED, requiring animal testing facilities and breeders to offer dogs and cats for adoption to releasing agencies. I believe that animals who have been subjected to animal testing and research should finally discover what it is to be a dog, in a loving Forever home. Also, please OPPOSE Senate/Assembly Amendment 1, which would strip out reporting requirements and put the disposition of the animals soley in the hands of the laboratories."

  • If you want to give reasons for your position, please see our Talking Points below!

  • Again, it is VERY important that you include your full name, street address, city, state and zip. Phone number and email address are also helpful.

    Find your WI State Representatives   

TALKING POINTS:

• Animals subjected to animal testing and research deserve a fair shot at a new beginning. Often these animals have never had a real home, a loving family, or a chance to run outside in fresh grass.

• Under current Wisconsin law, there are no requirements for research organizations and animal testing facilities to make an active effort to find a family or adoption agency that will take in these dogs and cats. HOWEVER, More than 15 states have passed laws requiring animal testing facilities to allow dogs to be adopted including our neighboring states of Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan.

• SB 414/AB 436 as originally written would require research and testing institutions to hold a mandatory three-week adoption period where dogs and cats are able to be transferred to adoption agencies or directly adopted. Institutions that do not comply with the required adoption period will be subject to upto $5,000 in fines.

  • As defined by the bill, “Releasing agency” means an animal shelter, humane society, animal welfare organization, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, home-based rescue, or other nonprofit group that provides individuals with animals for adoption as companion animals. The Wisconsin humane community, with its decades of experience, is ready, willing, and able to help test subject animals move from laboratory life to caring homes.

  • If an animal testing facility is operated by a state agency or an institution of higher education, that facility may develop its own internal adoption program.

  • Also included in the bill are strict record-keeping requirements for the animal testing facilities, to be submitted annualy, detailing: a) The total number of dogs and cats it owned. (b) The total number of dogs and cats it used for research or testing. (c) The total number of dogs and cats it transferred to a releasing agency for the purpose of adoption. (d) The name and address of each releasing agency to which it transferred a dog or cat for the purpose of adoption. (e) The total number of dogs and cats that were adopted from its internal adoption program, if applicable.

• Federal agencies are already moving away from animal testing. As the nation shifts toward modern, humane research, it is inconsistent and indefensible to deny animals who have already suffered the chance to live out their remaining years in peace.

• The Wisconsin humane community is united in its support of the original Beagle Freedom Bill. They are ready, willing, and able to help test subject animals move from laboratory life to caring homes.

• Senate Amendment 1 and Assembly Amendment 1 were proposed, according to a staffer for Sen. Wanggaard, after his office had been working with several research facilities on this bill -- no surprise that these facilities were opposed to it as written. This new amendment would:

• • Clarify that the professional judgment of the research veterinarian will be used to determine whether an animal is suitable for adoption, based on the welfare of the animal. Certainly the input of the research veterinarian should be taken into consideration, but it seems to us that giving him/her the final say would be like putting the fox in charge of all of the henhouses.

  • Allow private adoptions for research facilities and breeders. Oh, hell, no! "Private adoptions" very likely equals SALE. NO ethical breeder would take a dog from a "research facility" for breeding -- so, this provision is essentially advocating release/sale of the dogs to puppy millers. And -- "private adoptions to research facilities?" Instead of being allowed to live the rest of their lives in freedom, the lab dogs could potentially go right back into a hell hole like Ridglan Farms!

  • Requires facilities to retain their own records for 12 months, available at DATCP’s request, and exempt from public records. Absolutely NOT! This in itself should be a total non-starter, a totally unacceptable precedent that would remove ALL transparency. The labs could be back to doing whatever they wish with the dogs, with no way for the public or regulating agencies to police them.

  • . Removes the penalty for recordkeeping requirements. With exemption from public records and NO penalty for not keeping the required records, the animals would be in a worse position than they are at present!

• The amendment undermines the intent of the bill by handing control over adoptions entirely to the animal research institutions. It allows them to decide whether animals used in experiments are ever made available for adoption, shields their records from public oversight by exempting them from open-records laws, and eliminates penalties for failing to maintain or produce adoption records.

• Watering down the e original bill with the proposed contradictory amendments will likely result in none of the test subject dogs or cats ever being free to enjoy "life after the lab." These animals deserve to feel sunshine instead of lab lights, grass and soft beds instead of wire cages, and the touch of compassionate hands in loving homes at last.

    Original Bill Text      Bill History      Original Bill Summary   

    Senate/Assembly Amendment 1 Summary      Senate/Assembly Amendment 1   

   TAKE ACTION       Talking Points   

    What To Expect At A Public Hearing      Find your WI State Representatives   

    How a Bill Becomes a Law in Wisconsin   

    Reporting Animal Cruelty