LANSING, Mich. (Sept. 26, 2024) — Today, Sen. Paul Wojno (D-Warren) introduced “Queenie’s Law,” Senate Bill 1019, to prohibit painful dog experiments at Michigan’s publicly funded institutions. The bill, a companion to legislation introduced in 2023 by Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Livonia), is a response to the long-running, controversial dog studies conducted at Wayne State University.
In the Wayne State experiments, which began in 1991, dogs undergo multiple surgeries, during which devices are placed in and around arteries and stabbed into their hearts. Dogs that survive the surgeries are forced to run on treadmills while the implanted devices trigger heart failure. Newly released records also reveal that Wayne State has started feeding the dogs a “high fat diet” to “induce metabolic syndrome,” which can increase risk of strokes.
According to public records obtained by the nonprofit medical ethics group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, many dogs at Wayne State die after their chest cavities fill with blood. The group also points out that the university has failed to provide evidence the experiments have benefited patients.
“Michigan’s public institutions, which conduct research in our name, should be held to higher standards,” said Sen. Wojno. “This bill would ensure that public funds are used to advance human health, not to harm and kill dogs.”
For years, the experiments at Wayne State have garnered widespread criticism — from university faculty and students, state legislators, Attorney General Dana Nessel, and celebrities. In April, actress, comedian, and Detroit native Lily Tomlin, who attended Wayne State, urged Speaker of the House Joe Tate to advance Rep. Koleszar’s bill.
The Physicians Committee points out that $17 million in public funds have been spent on the experiments and related projects. In contrast, it says, population studies, cell-based methods, and the use of diseased hearts from patients undergoing transplants are producing useful information. The Texas Heart Institute, which focuses exclusively on cardiovascular disease, stopped using dogs in 2012, stating at the time that “the canine physiology is not the optimal match” for the studies it was conducting.
“Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Michigan, but the dog experiments at Wayne State are doing nothing to address that problem” said Ryan Merkley, director of research advocacy for the Physicians Committee. “It is shameful that a public institution is inflicting pain on man’s best friend while wasting millions of taxpayer dollars.”
The bill has been sent to the Senate Regulatory Affairs Committee for further deliberation.
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