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Committee hears 'Queenie's Law' to ban painful dog experiments at public universities
Summary
Lawmakers considered House Bill 4254, dubbed Queenie’s Law, which would bar painful dog experiments at public universities after testimony described decades of invasive studies at Wayne State University.
The House Regulatory Reform Committee on May 20 heard extensive testimony for and against House Bill 4254 — called “Queenie’s Law” by supporters — which would prohibit painful experimental procedures on dogs at public universities in Michigan.
Ryan Merkley of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine urged lawmakers to pass the bill, saying recent federal and institutional moves show a broader shift away from canine models in research. Merkley said public records obtained from Wayne State University document repeated invasive heart-failure experiments on dogs, described the university’s own past characterizations of those studies as speculative (“potential,” “would” or “could”) and noted that Wayne State has spent roughly $15 million on related studies since 1991 and reported more than 300 dog deaths in the programs described in the records.
Dr. Sally Christopher, a veterinarian who oversaw laboratory animal care at other institutions, described specific case records she reviewed at Wayne State and testified that one dog endured extremely limited socialization and enrichment, multiple surgeries and an extended period of distress before euthanasia. A social-work student from Wayne State, Jackie Myers, testified she was shocked to learn of experiments at her university and urged passage of the bill.
Representing Wayne State, Dr. Michael Bradley, the university’s senior director of lab animal resources and attending veterinarian, testified in opposition. Bradley said Wayne State’s animal care program is regulated by federal agencies and accredited by AAALAC, that projects undergo Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) review, and that canine research at Wayne State has produced peer-reviewed results over three decades that contributed to scientific understanding of cardiovascular physiology, surgical care and treatment strategies. Bradley said the university has placed rescued animals for adoption in some cases and disputed characterizations of routine care and handling.
Researchers and public-health academics also testified in support of the bill. Paul Locke, a Johns Hopkins researcher, said the bill is a modest, incremental step that would spur adoption of non-animal methods such as organs-on-chips and would align with national trends away from canine use in research.
Committee members asked for documentation substantiating both sides’ claims; the chair accepted large stacks of written support and opposition that committee clerks logged. No committee vote was recorded at the meeting; sponsors and opponents indicated the matter would receive additional review and lawmakers requested supporting materials from Wayne State and other parties for further consideration.
