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     PLEASE contact both your Wisconsin State Senator and Representative ASAP and ask them to co-sponsor LRB 1290/1 and LRB 4386/1, the WI Beagle Freedom Bill, requiring animal testing facilities and breeders to offer dogs and cats for adoption to releasing agencies!

     The deadline for legislators to sign on as co-sponsors is 5 PM, August 25, after which time, the bill will be introduced and sent to committee for action. While legislators can sign on as co-sponsors at any time during the legislative process, the MORE co-sponsors a bill has upon introduction, the BETTER chance it has of being passed out of committee and on to the full legislature for a vote.

     The bipartisan Beagle Freedom Bill (LRB 1290/1 and LRB 4386/1, relating to: requiring animal testing facilities and breeders to offer certain dogs and cats for adoption to to releasing agencies and providing a penalty) has been authored by Senators Van Wanggaard and Tim Carpenter, and Representatives Joel Kitchens and Alex Joers.

From the Co-Sponsorship Memorandum:

     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.

     DEADLINE IS 5 PM, AUGUST 25.

     This sounds like a no-brainer to us, but we have already encountered opposition from one of the facilities that would be affected.

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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."

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 your Wisconsin State Senator AND Representative ASAP and ask them to co-sponsor LRB 1290/1 and LRB 4386/1, the WI Beagle Freedom Bill, requiring animal testing facilities and breeders to offer dogs and cats for adoption to releasing agencies!

  • Put "SUPPORT LRB 1290/1 and LRB 4386/1, the WI Beagle Freedom Bill, " in the Subject line.

  • If Senators Van Wanggaard and Tim Carpenter, and/or Representatives Joel Kitchens and Alex Joers represent your district, THANK THEM for authoring this bill.

  • All you need to say in the email is: Dear [ }, I am a constituent, and I am writing to ask you please to COSPONSOR LRB 1290/1 and LRB 4386/1, the WI Beagle Freedom Bill, 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."

  • 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.

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

• Also, please post your request/thanks on your Representative's Facebook page!

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TALKING POINTS:

     Here is the text of a co-sponsorship memo sent to All Legislators, from Senators Van Wanggaard and Tim Carpenter, and Representatives Joel Kitchens and Alex Joers:

     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.

• 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.

• 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.

    Bill Text      Bill History      Bill Summary   

   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