Detroit Lions Players Call for End to Painful Dog Experiments in Michigan Labs
A growing coalition of advocates, including Detroit Lions players and several high-profile Michigan natives, is urging the state's lawmakers to pass legislation that would ban painful experiments on dogs at taxpayer-funded institutions.
The push comes as Michigan taxpayers are helping bankroll cruel and invasive canine experiments, critics argue. In April, a billboard campaign in Lansing and Detroit drew attention to the issue, featuring a beagle and the message " $15 Million Wasted on Wayne State's Dog Experiments? ENOUGH. Pass Queenie's Law!"
The legislation, known as Queenie's Law, would prohibit public bodies from conducting research or training on dogs "in a manner that causes pain or distress." The House version of the bill has already cleared one hurdle in the House Regulatory Reform Committee.
Supporters argue that the science is moving away from dog experiments. In May 2025, the NIH closed its last in-house beagle lab, and in June, the U.S. Navy announced it would stop using dogs and cats in research. The bills also cite alternatives already producing better results for patients, including clinical trials, population studies, 3D organoids, and research using donated human organs.
Critics, however, warn that the legislation could hinder biomedical research and harm Michigan's competitiveness. Opponents argue that restrictions on animal studies could slow progress in treating serious diseases.
The bills have already drawn support from high-profile Michigan natives, including Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright and his fiancée Carley Johnston, director and actor Alison Eastwood, and several other prominent Michiganders.
"We're not the only members of the Lions family who support this important legislation," Wright and Johnston wrote in their letter to Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and House Speaker Matt Hall. "Anyone who has a dog at home would be shocked to learn of the deadly experiments occurring inside public labs—and what's equally shocking is how unnecessary those experiments are."
The coalition behind Queenie's Law emphasizes that it is a common-sense, bipartisan effort aimed at protecting Michigan taxpayers from supporting cruel and unnecessary experiments on dogs.
As Wright and Johnston so aptly put it: "Cutting edge, human-relevant research means there is no reason to harm and kill dogs to improve public health."
A growing coalition of advocates, including Detroit Lions players and several high-profile Michigan natives, is urging the state's lawmakers to pass legislation that would ban painful experiments on dogs at taxpayer-funded institutions.
The push comes as Michigan taxpayers are helping bankroll cruel and invasive canine experiments, critics argue. In April, a billboard campaign in Lansing and Detroit drew attention to the issue, featuring a beagle and the message " $15 Million Wasted on Wayne State's Dog Experiments? ENOUGH. Pass Queenie's Law!"
The legislation, known as Queenie's Law, would prohibit public bodies from conducting research or training on dogs "in a manner that causes pain or distress." The House version of the bill has already cleared one hurdle in the House Regulatory Reform Committee.
Supporters argue that the science is moving away from dog experiments. In May 2025, the NIH closed its last in-house beagle lab, and in June, the U.S. Navy announced it would stop using dogs and cats in research. The bills also cite alternatives already producing better results for patients, including clinical trials, population studies, 3D organoids, and research using donated human organs.
Critics, however, warn that the legislation could hinder biomedical research and harm Michigan's competitiveness. Opponents argue that restrictions on animal studies could slow progress in treating serious diseases.
The bills have already drawn support from high-profile Michigan natives, including Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright and his fiancée Carley Johnston, director and actor Alison Eastwood, and several other prominent Michiganders.
"We're not the only members of the Lions family who support this important legislation," Wright and Johnston wrote in their letter to Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and House Speaker Matt Hall. "Anyone who has a dog at home would be shocked to learn of the deadly experiments occurring inside public labs—and what's equally shocking is how unnecessary those experiments are."
The coalition behind Queenie's Law emphasizes that it is a common-sense, bipartisan effort aimed at protecting Michigan taxpayers from supporting cruel and unnecessary experiments on dogs.
As Wright and Johnston so aptly put it: "Cutting edge, human-relevant research means there is no reason to harm and kill dogs to improve public health."
! They're trying to cover up the truth behind these dog experiments, but I've got my eye on it. Think about it, they're banning painful experiments on dogs, but what about the real agenda? Are they hiding something else? What's really driving this legislation? 
. It's like they're trying to distract us from the real issue. And what about all those "alternatives" they're touting? 3D organoids, donated human organs... sounds like some fancy marketing spin to me 
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. We need to dig deeper and expose the truth behind Queenie's Law. I mean, who are these players really supporting this legislation? Is it just a PR stunt or is there something more sinister at play?
The NIH closing its last in-house beagle lab just means they've found alternative methods that don't require as many animals, but that doesn't mean we should stop funding them altogether. I need to see some concrete data on how much of a difference these alternatives are making and whether the research is actually better for human health.
The fact that it's gaining traction from high-profile Michiganders like Brock Wright and Alison Eastwood just means we need to scrutinize where their interests lie. Are they really using their platform to support legislation or is this just a PR stunt?
the whole thing about michigan taxpayers footing the bill for these inhumane experiments is just wild 
i mean what's next? paying for puppy food on our tax returns lol 
but seriously, its great to see a coalition of advocates, including athletes and celebrities, coming together to push for this change. its all about progress and finding better ways to advance medical research without putting innocent lives at risk 
And isn't it true that 3D organoids and human organs are already giving us better results for patients? 
I need to see some solid stats or studies to back up these claims. Sources, anyone? 
and i'm still getting used to all the cool features 
but anyway this dog experiment thing is really sad 
i don't think it's fair that we're using them for science when there are other ways to do it 
so yeah i think queenie's law is a great idea 
let's just use human organs and be done with it 
. I mean, come on, we're talking about banning experiments on dogs in Michigan labs, but what's the alternative? Are we just gonna rely on clinical trials and population studies all the time? That sounds like it could slow down progress in treating serious diseases. And let's not forget about the NIH closing its last in-house beagle lab - isn't that a sign that we're moving away from animal experiments anyway? 
The Detroit Lions players are like, totally right – it's not cool that we're paying taxes and helping fund this stuff. And what really gets me is that the US Navy is already switching to human-relevant research, but here we go with animal testing too 
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. And what's the big deal about Michigan competitiveness? Can't we just say no to animal cruelty and stick with human trials instead? 
. some ppl are all for it, sayin science is movin away from dog experiments 
. others are like "but what about progress in medicine?" 
. maybe thats the real lesson here? its not always about win or lose, but about havin a conversation that matters 
. It's crazy to think about all the money being wasted on these painful procedures when there are so many other ways to get results 
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. I love that Brock Wright and Carley Johnston are using their platform to bring attention to this issue – it's all about using our voices for good 
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Yeah, it's a real eye-opener. And the thing is, I've heard that science is moving away from dog experiments anyway 
. So, why do we still need laws to prevent this? It's all about being kind to our furry friends, you know? And let's be real, it's not like it's gonna hurt Michigan's competitiveness or anything 
. let's get that Queenie's Law passed ASAP! 
. I mean, we've got better alternatives now, like 3D organoids and clinical trials that produce way more results for patients 
i dont think its right that they gotta go through pain and distress for science...like cant we find other ways to help people without hurting animals? 
The more I learn about these experiments, the more I'm convinced that there are better ways to do science without harming animals