Lab is Feeding Fungicides to Beagles, Humane Society Says

Beagles are allegedly being force-fed fungicides in experiments at a Michigan laboratory with ties to Dow Chemical, and the Humane Society wants it to stop. An undercover investigation last year found that nearly two dozen experiments involved testing on dogs, and that some suffered for months before being killed when the studies ended, the Detroit Free Press reports. The Humane Society, which started a petition calling for 36 beagles involved in the current fungicide experiment to be freed, said Charles River Laboratories in Mattawan conducted tests for at least 25 companies during the course of the investigation. "For months," the Humane Society said, "we have been urging Dow to end the unnecessary test and release the dogs to us."

Dow issued a statement saying that Brazilian regulations require the tests; the company said it is looking for other options. The lab said it ensures "responsible, ethical and humane treatment" of the animals, per the Free Press, adding that animal testing is important to understanding drug safety and the progression of disease. "It is our obligation to tell the stories of the animals," the Humane Society said, "and move science, policy and corporate ethics into the 21st century." The Human Society says any beagles that survive the testing are scheduled to be euthanized in July. (Half a dozen labradors lost several teeth and then their lives as part of a controversial lab experiment.)