Lions Players, Doctors Group Urge Michigan Senate Committee to Prohibit Taxpayer-Funded Dog Experiments

LANSING, Mich.—A pair of Detroit Lions players are joining a national doctors group and others in calling on the Michigan Senate to outlaw painful dog experiments at public institutions. On Tuesday, tight ends Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright and their wives Callie and Carley sent a letter to members of the Regulatory Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Bloomfield), urging them to support Queenie’s Law (SB 127) in advance of a hearing held yesterday. They joined the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a professor from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a former research veterinarian who testified in support of the bill.

“Like millions of Michiganders, dogs share our homes,” the Lions players write.  “And they should never be subjected to painful, taxpayer-funded experiments.”

The legislation was prompted by heart failure experiments conducted at Wayne State University, which began in 1991 and involve conducting surgical procedures on dogs described by numerous veterinarians as painful. After implanting devices in the dogs’ arteries, hearts, and spines, Wayne State staff place the animals on treadmills and use the devices to elevate the dog’s heart rates up to three times what is normal. Public records obtained by the Physicians Committee reveal more than 150 dogs have died in the experiments since 2010, often after suffering collapsed lungs, infections, or severe internal bleeding due to surgical errors. Some dogs have been found dead in their cages.

In October, the House Regulatory Reform Committee voted overwhelmingly in favor of that chamber’s version of Queenie’s Law, with 14 legislators supporting, none opposing, and two legislators passing. The bill (HB 4254), which Rep. Joe Aragona (R-Clinton Township) introduced, was referred to the House Rules Committee, where it awaits a hearing.

“Science is moving quickly away from dog experiments,” said Ryan Merkley, director of research advocacy for the Physicians Committee. “By passing Queenie’s Law, legislators can help ensure Michigan is a leader in 21^st century research.”

Last month, news broke that Wayne State is not currently conducting dog experiments but is still actively seeking more funding for the project from the National Institutes of Health, which has provided almost $15 million to the university over the past 35 years. The Physicians Committee has pointed out to the NIH that Wayne State’s claims about the experiments have been false or misleading. For example, there is no evidence Wayne State researchers “discovered” that measuring the stiffness of a patient’s arteries can help predict low blood pressure during surgery.

The Physicians Committee emphasizes that human-relevant methods like trials involving patients, population studies, stem cell-derived 3D organoids, and the use of donated human hearts are producing results for patients. In 2012, the Texas Heart Institute, dedicated solely to addressing cardiovascular disease, stopped using dogs altogether.

To see a copy of the letter from the LaPortas and Wrights or to speak with Mr. Merkley, please contact Reina Pohl at 202-527-7326 or rpohl [at] pcrm.org.