Residents urge Fort Collins to ban use of dogs and cats in local research after alleged abuses at Red Beast Enterprises

Dozens of residents and experts urged the Fort Collins City Council on Feb. 3 to pursue a local ordinance barring the use of purpose‑bred dogs and cats in city laboratories following allegations of cruelty at a local facility.

Jill Forrest, a District 2 resident, said the city’s 2024 ban on retail sales from puppy mills left a “back door” open and asked council to “prohibit the use of dogs and cats in research facilities and finally close this loophole.” Her remarks cited a local investigative report and PETA’s undercover investigation.

Rebecca Robinson, founder of the Wisconsin‑based nonprofit Dane for Dogs, told the council that Red Beast Enterprises and Mountain West Research Center in Fort Collins have purchased beagles from Ridgeland Farms and that multiple investigations produced allegations of mutilations, poor housing and other welfare violations. “Ridgeland recently agreed to surrender its license and stop selling dogs to research laboratories by July 1 to avoid criminal prosecution,” Robinson said.

Tyler Saar, a District 3 resident and former PETA strategist, said a six‑month undercover probe “revealed a house of horrors” and cited federal inspectors’ findings that the facility received multiple USDA violations and more than 200 instances of neglect. “In 30 days, 143 dogs and cats vanished from the facility,” Saar said, adding that many appeared to have been euthanized rather than transferred to rescues.

Dr. Mickey Pardo, an animal‑behavior scientist presenting from Kenya, and other speakers, including Scott Carmen and Dr. Danielle Demetes (who said she works at the National Institutes of Health), urged the council that science and federal policy are moving toward nonanimal methods. Pardo said evidence shows many drugs that succeed in animal tests fail in human trials and described organ‑on‑a‑chip and other alternatives.

Council member Pignataro acknowledged residents’ concerns and said staff have been researching legal pathways. She told the meeting that many effective policy examples operate at the state level and said she intends to add the issue to the city’s legislative review work so Fort Collins can coordinate with state lawmakers. “At this point, I think what we need to do, if Resolution 12 passes, I will be on the legislative review committee again,” she said.

Speakers urged immediate local action, saying the state law that allows labs to offer animals for adoption does not ensure release and that local shelters are not equipped to absorb traumatized animals. Sarah Swanse of Bridal Friends Alliance said the recent state law (referred to in testimony as SB25085) “authorizes researchers to euthanize animals for research, health, or safety reasons” and that adoption remains optional in practice.

The council did not take an ordinance vote on Feb. 3. Pignataro and other members said they will continue working on legislative options and review of authority limits; staff and council discussed pursuing a combination of local drafting and coordination with state legislators as the next step.

The public record cited USDA inspection reports and private investigations; speakers requested that staff return with options for ordinance language, regulatory limits, or state escalations. The council scheduled follow‑up work through its legislative review process rather than immediate local rulemaking.