Capstones
Graduation Date
Winter 12-19-2025
Grading Professor
Andy Lehren
Subject Concentration
Investigative
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Abstract
The purpose-bred dog breeding industry for research is little known. Each year, thousands of dogs are bred for scientific and medical testing, supplied to research facilities by a handful of major commercial breeders. But gaps in enforcement and regulation have allowed abuses to persist, even as the industry increasingly turns to alternatives to animal testing. Animal rights advocates have been decrying the treatment of these dogs. A federal Inspector General report found lax oversight of the industry, raising further concerns about how dogs are treated. This story was reported in collaboration with the Investigative Journalism Bureau, based in Toronto, and published in Canada’s National Post in its online and print editions.
Read the story at NYCity News Service, the Investigative Journalism Bureau and the National Post.
Recommended Citation
Hunter, Allison; Beech, Mary; Marshak, Sami; and Morano, Kate, "Two Major Ontario Hospital Labs Bought Research Dogs From U.S. Breeder With Troubled PastDogs bred for scientific and medical testing suffer abuse as the scientific industry increasingly turns to alternatives for research." (2025). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gj_etds/853
Dawn Eberhardt displays Gracie's ear tattoo on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, at Dairy Ridge dog park in Verona, Wis. The letters spell N-Y-A-A, an identification code associated with beagles bred at Marshall Farms. Photo by Allison Hunter.
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Dawn Eberhardt with Gracie, her adopted former research lab dog, on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025 at Dairy Ridge dog park in Verona, Wis. Photo by Allison Hunter.
20251207DANE01_0593.jpg (4083 kB)
Charlotte and Gracie at Dairy Ridge dog park in Verona, Wis., on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. Photo by Allison Hunter.
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Aerial view of Ridglan Farms that bred beagles to be sold for research, photographed on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025 in Blue Mounds, Wis. Photo by Allison Hunter.
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An aerial view of Marshall BioResources, a commercial breeder that supplies dogs and other animals for medical research, on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, in North Rose, N.Y. Photo by Allison Hunter.
Two Major Ontario Hospital Labs Bought Research Dogs From U.S. Breeder With Troubled Past – New York City News Service.pdf (10711 kB)
The story in the NYCity News Service
Two major Ontario hospital labs bought research dogs from U.S. breeder with troubled past - Investigative Journalism Bureau.pdf (7728 kB)
The story in the Investigative Journalism Bureau
The National Post online edition.pdf (1834 kB)
The story in the National Post online edition
The National Post print edition.pdf (4476 kB)
The story in the National Post print edition
Included in
Animal Experimentation and Research Commons, Animal Law Commons, Animal Studies Commons, Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, Comparative and Laboratory Animal Medicine Commons, Laboratory and Basic Science Research Commons, Small or Companion Animal Medicine Commons
