There was a lot of howling going on in the Pennsylvania state capitol today, as beagles and their owners rallied for better animal research laws.

This whole thing started three years ago, when hundreds of beagles were rescued from a breeding facility that sold the dogs for scientific research projects. That breeder plead guilty to federal animal cruelty charges, and many of the beagles were adopted by Pennsylvania families.

Today, those families came to Harrisburg, advocating for a state law that would increase transparency around research projects.

A set of Beagle Freedom Bills, sponsored by Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie) in the House and a similar bill sponsored by Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin) in the Senate update current law.

If passed, an organization that gets state money for research projects that utilize animal testing, that organization must provide a detailed report every year on their activities around the animal testing.

The laws also allow animals that have been used in research (depending on the research), to be put up for adoption instead of automatically euthanized.

Over a dozen beagles who were rescued those three years ago were at today’s event.

Ruth Thompson, who owns one of the shelters who took in 50 of the beagles to help get them adopted, made the drive down for the advocacy day.

“I didn't even know, as naive as that sounds, that animals were allowed to be tested on at all in the United States, let alone right where I live, you know, right in my area,” Thompson said. “Just reading the graphic reports of what brought on that closing of that particular facility, I mean, just appalling to somebody that's dedicated their entire life to saving animals. The fact that we as humans can be that malicious, it was a heartbreaking.”

At the federal level, many agencies are phasing out animal testing—saying there are other, more effective ways to conduct research.