I drove nearly 3,000 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah to Madison, Wisconsin after learning that thousands of beagles were being kept inside Ridglan Farms for animal testing. I believed we were going to help free dogs who had spent their entire lives in cages.

What I witnessed instead changed me forever.

These dogs live in tiny wire cages, often sitting in their own waste, never feeling grass under their paws or sunlight on their backs. Many exist only to be bred and sold into laboratories for testing. They are intelligent, gentle animals who deserve a life of safety, freedom, and compassion.

During the peaceful rescue effort, I was assaulted with pepper spray at close range. I was temporarily blinded and had to spend hours with volunteer medics on site flushing my eyes and treating the burns because emergency services couldn’t reach us. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the heartbreak of leaving those dogs behind.

No animal should spend its entire life suffering in a cage for testing.

We have the science, the technology, and the moral responsibility to move beyond cruel animal experimentation. Other states and countries are already moving toward humane alternatives.

It’s time to take a stand.

I am asking lawmakers to ban animal testing and prosecute facilities that profit from cruelty. These animals cannot speak for themselves.

But we can.

Please sign and help us end this.