It's heartbreaking to witness the cruelty that animals endure under the guise of scientific research here in Wisconsin. Innocent creatures have been subjected to horrifying procedures like having steel posts embedded into their skulls, which often lead to infections. Some requiring amputations of limbs and tongues. They're restrained in bags and deafened with a toxic substance. They've have their teeth pulled with no relief from pain through medication.  They've been left to die having surgery due to malfunctioning equipment and many other infractions that are unfathomable. The UW of Wisconsin was named in 2025 by a PETA study showing as one of the top violators in research universities, citing failures to provide adequate pain relief  and improper anesthetic administration. Ridglan Farms, has become a popular name as of late, as well for their notorious allegations of animal abuse and subsequent action by animal rights activists to release the Beagles they do experiments on. Former employees from Ridglan Farms testified in a 2024 Wisconsin court hearing that they and other staff members, who were not veterinarians, used scissors to sever dogs' eye glands without anesthesia. One witness described the dogs "thrashing around in pain, often yelping, crying out" during the procedures. They've been kept in stacked metal cages without ever having seen sunlight or have grass underneath their feet. They surrendered their breeding license, and some of the Beagles have been freed, but not all. The remaining Beagles will most likely succumb to more abuse. All of this, is not just harmful; it's barbaric and unacceptable.

In our state, laws that are meant to protect animals become redundant because they carry exemptions for so-called 'bona fide scientific research' activities, creating a loophole where heart-wrenching cruelty can be perpetuated legally. These animals suffer immensely. They're subjected to procedures that involve sound localizations, severe bodily harm, and mental distress, and are often imprisoned in cramped conditions without any reprieve – all without their consent.

The actions conducted in these laboratories under the pretense of advancement not only inflict unimaginable suffering but also tarnish the ethical standards expected from scientific endeavors.

The truth is, there are alternative methods available today that do not involve harming these living beings and can deliver even more relevant scientific results. Technologies like in vitro testing, computer modeling, and research based on human cell cultures are just a few humane ways to advance science responsibly.

It's time we end this dated and brutal practice. As a community that values compassion and responsibility, we must urge Wisconsin lawmakers to review and amend these outdated policies. By eliminating these legal exceptions, we can propel our state into a future where science and ethics coexist harmoniously.

Let us lend our voices to the voiceless and demand that the legal system in Wisconsin stops needlessly harming animals for research purposes. Stand with me in calling for the end of legal animal cruelty cloaked as scientific research. Sign the petition now to bring about genuine change and ensure no animal has to suffer for the sake of science ever again.

Here are the specific Wisconsin statutes that shield research facilities, pulled directly from the Wisconsin Legislature's official records:

 
1. Wis. Stat. §951.02 — "Mistreating Animals" "No person may treat any animal, whether belonging to the person or another, in a cruel manner. This section does not prohibit normal and accepted veterinary practices."

The shield: The phrase "normal and accepted veterinary practices" is broad enough to cover procedures performed at research facilities under veterinary supervision, effectively exempting them from cruelty charges for those acts.

2. Wis. Stat. §951.015 — "Applicability" (the biggest shield)

§951.015(3)(a): "Teaching, research, or experimentation conducted pursuant to a protocol or procedure approved by an educational or research institution, and related incidental animal care activities, at facilities that are regulated under 7 USC 2131 to 2159 or 42 USC 289d."

§951.015(3)(b): "Bona fide scientific research involving species unregulated by federal law."

The shield: Any research facility that has an approved protocol, essentially internal self-approval, is fully exempt from Wisconsin's animal cruelty laws, no matter what happens to the animals. The facility just needs to be federally regulated or claim "bona fide" scientific research. There is no independent state oversight of what happens inside.

One more thing worth knowing: The Wisconsin Beagle Freedom Bill (SB414/AB436), which was a step in the right direction, did not pass. The legislative session ended without it becoming law. That bill was never enough in the first place, all that did was require laboratories and facilities to offer dogs and cats for adoption after experiments and testing have ended, instead of killing them, to a humane society or nonprofit animal rescue organization. What we truly need is for Wisconsin to close the loophole that shields research facilities from animal cruelty charges altogether.

Right now, these facilities are exempt from the same laws that would land any ordinary citizen in handcuffs for the same abuse. That needs to change. Contact your state senator and representative and demand they introduce legislation that holds research facilities to the same animal cruelty standards as everyone else in Wisconsin — no exemptions, no exceptions. Find your legislators at legis.wisconsin.gov by entering your address, and let them know you expect action.
 
The fastest way: 👉 legis.wisconsin.gov → enter your address → get direct contact info for your specific legislators.