April 2nd, 2018 by WCBC Radio
Dogs used in research could have a better chance of eventually becoming pets under a bill winding through the Maryland General Assembly.
The state Senate already has approved the measure, which includes dogs and cats, though it is dubbed the Beagle Freedom Bill because the breed is the most common dog used in research. A hearing is slated for Tuesday in the House of Delegates and nearly 100 lawmakers already have signed on as co-sponsors.
The bill even won support from former Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith, who is featured in a billboard holding a beagle.
“Hopefully we’ll get it voted on by the end of the week,” said Del. Maggie McIntosh, a Baltimore City Democrat and appropriations chair.
A similar bill failed for the past two years in the General Assembly when top research institutions, including Johns Hopkins Medicine and the University of Maryland School of Medicine, opposed it.
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