If beagles could laugh, they’d get the last guffaw in a case involving a doctor who tried to give the small hounds cancer and an animal rights group attempting to stop him by taking on the role of government whistleblower.

In a heartening decision for plaintiffs lawyers who often bring lucrative qui tam suits, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Wednesday that information obtained from the government through public means may form the basis of a False Claims Act complaint.