Teddy was never supposed to have a family. He wasn’t meant to chase balls in the grass or get treats for being a good boy. When he was born at Marshall BioResources, a sprawling dog breeding facility, he had a single purpose: To be sold to a laboratory where he would be used in painful experiments. And then he would be killed. Instead, against all odds, Teddy was saved.
When footage of Teddy and the 31 other dogs featured in our undercover investigation went viral in March of 2019, hundreds of thousands of people from around the world took action to demand that the dogs be released from Charles River Laboratories, where they were being used in a year-long fungicide test commissioned by a pesticide company.
After weeks of pressure from the public, the company agreed that the test was unnecessary and released the dogs to our partner, Michigan Humane Society, to be adopted.
That’s when everything changed for Teddy.
The vast majority of the more than 60,000 dogs used in experiments on average every year in the U.S. never leave the laboratory alive. At universities, hospitals and companies across the country, dogs, who are only identified by a tattooed number on their ear, live in misery in barren cages often devoid of the companionship of other dogs or the loving touch of a human. They are subjected to painful—often excruciating—procedures, such as being intentionally injured, implanted with medical devices, infected with diseases and force-fed toxic substances.
It is our job to press for change and move science into the 21st century, so we can spare animals from suffering and improve human health. Images of Teddy and other animals behind bars are a constant reminder of the work ahead.
Kathleen Conlee, Vice President of Animal Research Issues, The Humane Society of the United States
In some cases, the tests require that the dogs be killed and their tissues harvested. So far, only 15 states have passed laws requiring laboratories to offer dogs to shelters and other rescue organizations whenever possible so they can be adopted into loving homes after the experiment ends.
No dog deserves to suffer like this. With your help, we are pushing organizations and government agencies to question the ethics and scientific validity of methods that use dogs. We are working to increase investment in the development of sophisticated testing methods that don’t rely on animals. And we are partnering with lawmakers around the country to ensure that an increasing number of dogs are given a chance at adoption after they leave the laboratory.
Are used in experiments on average in the U.S. each year.
Found forever homes with loving families after being documented in our undercover investigation.
Were on site at Marshall BioResources, a dog breeding facility where Teddy and the 31 other beagles were born, in 2018.
