FDA’s 2035 Animal Testing Phaseout: A Closer Look at What It Means for Beagles in Labs

In April 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unveiled a significant policy shift: a roadmap to phase out the requirement for animal testing in drug development by 2035. While this move has been hailed as a progressive step towards more ethical and efficient drug testing methods, it does not equate to an outright ban on animal testing. Consequently, facilities that breed animals for laboratory use, such as beagles, may continue their operations unabated.

Understanding the FDA’s New Policy

The FDA’s initiative focuses on replacing traditional animal testing with New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), which include advanced technologies like artificial intelligence-based models and organ-on-chip systems. These methods aim to enhance drug safety assessments while reducing reliance on animal models. However, the policy does not prohibit animal testing; it merely removes the mandate, allowing pharmaceutical companies the discretion to choose alternative methods or continue with animal testing if they prefer.

This change builds upon the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, signed into law in December 2022, which eliminated the 1938 requirement for animal testing in drug development. The Act permits the use of alternative testing methods but does not ban animal testing outright.

Implications for Beagles in Research

Beagles have long been favored in laboratory settings due to their docile nature and manageable size. Facilities like Marshall BioResources and Ridglan Farms are prominent breeders supplying beagles for research purposes.

  • Marshall BioResources: Based in North Rose, New York, Marshall is one of the largest suppliers of beagles for laboratory research in the U.S. Reports indicate that the facility houses approximately 23,000 dogs at any given time.
  • Ridglan Farms, located in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, is a breeding facility that supplies beagles specifically for biomedical research. The farm has faced increasing scrutiny over animal welfare concerns, including documented violations and powerful whistleblower testimonies that describe poor living conditions, lack of enrichment, and inadequate veterinary care for the dogs housed there.

Despite the FDA’s policy shift, the absence of a ban means that such facilities may continue breeding and supplying beagles for research, unless alternative testing methods are universally adopted by the scientific community.

The FDA’s Timeline: A Lifetime for a Lab Beagle

While the 10-year phaseout may sound reasonable in a policy memo, it’s a lifetime of suffering for a beagle born in 2025. Ten more years of being force-fed chemicals. Ten more years in cages. Ten more years with no walk, no toy, no home.

This is not just a delay in progress — it’s a death sentence for thousands of dogs who never chose this life.

You Can Help — Right Now

This moment in history demands action. Start conversations. Share facts. Challenge misconceptions. Most people don’t realize tens of thousands of beagles are still used in cruel, outdated, and often irrelevant experiments in the name of science. Talk to friends, family and neighbors about the realities of animal testing and the urgent need for change. You can help raise awareness and pressure decision makers to finally end this cycle.

Help us keep pressure on the worst offenders. Our nonprofit group is the only one maintaining a presence outside Marshall BioResources — to document, protest, and demand change. Please consider making DONATION to help us continue our presence outside Marshall BioResources and support future efforts for the cats, dogs, and ferrets trapped inside.