Dogs and cats used in research settings would be given another chance at adoption under House Bill 1458, which moved to the Indiana Senate on Wednesday.
State Representative Dave Hall authored the bill, which aims to ensure that dogs and cats used in research labs can get a second chance at a home. Hall, a Republican, represents House District 62, which includes all of Brown County and portions of Monroe and Jackson counties.
The bill is nicknamed the “Sunny's Bill” after a pet beagle belonging to Samantha Chapman, the Indiana state director for the U.S. Humane Society.
Chapman told the IDS that Sunny was one of 4,000 beagles rescued from an Envigo breeding facility in Virginia in 2022. Last July, Envigo paid $35 million after pleading guilty to violating the federal welfare act by neglecting thousands of dogs.
“Sunny is a testament of an adopted dog from a research facility that blossomed into a loving pet,” she said. “Even after being a dog who was abused and comes from a rough past.”
Chapman said if House Bill 1458 passes, Indiana will be the 17th state to pass similar legislation.
She said individuals can contact state senators to move this bill toward the finish line.
