Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright and his fiancée, Carley Johnston, have joined the effort to outlaw painful dog experiments at taxpayer-funded institutions in Michigan.
In a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and House Speaker Matt Hall, Wright and Johnston expressed their support for Queenie’s Law, joining teammate Sam LaPorta and Callie LaPorta, who advocated for the legislation in November.
Also, on Monday (Jan. 26), director and actress Alison Eastwood, Clint Eastwood’s daughter, sent a separate letter urging lawmakers to take action on the bill.
Queenie’s Law (HB 4254), introduced by Rep. Joe Aragona, passed the House Regulatory Reform Committee in October with overwhelming support—14 votes in favor, none opposed, and two abstentions.
The bill has been referred to the House Rules Committee, while the Senate version (SB 127), introduced by Sen. Paul Wojno, awaits a committee hearing.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a medical ethics nonprofit advocating for Queenie’s Law, and Royal Oak-based animal rescue group Happy Paws Haven collaborated with Wright and Johnston on their letter.
Recent developments show a shift away from dog experiments in science.
The National Institutes of Health closed its last in-house beagle lab in May; the U.S. Navy announced in June that it will no longer use dogs or cats in research; and the federal defense bill, signed in December, bans painful dog and cat studies.
Wright and Johnston join other Michigan celebrities endorsing Queenie’s Law, including actors Lily Tomlin and Ernie Hudson, who appeared in a TV ad and sent a letter to lawmakers in October.
The Physicians Committee highlights that human-relevant research methods—such as patient trials, population studies, 3D organoids, and donated human hearts—are producing effective results.
Notably, the Texas Heart Institute ceased using dogs in research in 2015.
For copies of the letters from Wright and Johnston or Eastwood, or to speak with Mr. Merkley, contact Reina Pohl at 202-527-7326 or rpohl@pcrm.org.
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