Michigan House Bill 4663, also known as Koda's Bill, will ban USDA licensed Class B Dealers from taking shelter animals. Class B Dealers take many cats and dogs each year from shelters in order to sell them to research facilities.
Koda's Bill is named after a shelter dog that, instead of being placed for adoption, was sold to a USDA Class B Dealer and resold to the University of Michigan, where he was used in the university's Advanced Trauma Life Support Class, and then euthanized.
Koda's former family believed that taking him to a shelter would allow him another opportunity to find a home and did not know he would be used in a research experiment. Sadly, this happens to far too many shelter cats and dogs in Michigan. But the public is speaking out with zero tolerance for this inhumane and deceptive practice. Currently only two county animal control shelters still allow Class B Dealers to take cats and dogs from their shelters.
Companion animals depend on humans for their safety and well-being. When Class B dealers can obtain cats and dogs -- like Koda -- from animal shelters, it diminishes the shelters' credibility and purpose, and betrays public trust.
Please speak up for shelter animals before the Michigan Legislature votes!
