Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), along with 10 other Republican lawmakers, sent a letter to National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya urging him to end experiments on dogs and cats at the agency.
The lawmakers called on Bhattacharya to “immediately terminate funding for barbaric dog and cat experiments approved by Dr. Anthony Fauci and his Biden-era successors.”
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They pointed to an investigation of former NIH Director Anthony Fauci by watchdog White Coat Waste for their continued concern, alleging he signed off on unethical animal testing.
“We are sending this request with considerable urgency because numerous media reports and ongoing
investigations by the nonprofit group White Coat Waste have documented how the NIH continues to renew and fund dozens of Dr. Fauci’s disturbing experiments on dogs and cats in labs around the world, in which animals are infested with insects, infected with viruses, force-fed experimental drugs, and killed,” they said.
The lawmakers also include Reps. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-GA), Nancy Mace (R-SC), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Scott Perry (R-PA), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Pat Fallon (R-TX), Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Eli Crane (R-AZ), and Chris Smith (R-NJ).
They said the animal testing continues to be funded, including an experiment at the “University of Missouri-Columbia where 400 beagle puppies are being infested with ticks for painful research, including tests in which pain relief is intentionally withheld.”
“Previous investigations have prompted the cancellation of several dog and cat labs approved and funded by Dr. Fauci because they were subsequently revealed to be completely unnecessary. It is time to end this waste and abuse for good. The Trump Administration’s U.S. Navy just banned dog and cat research, and the NIH should follow suit,” they added, noting the Navy’s recent action on dogs and cats.
The lawmakers are asking for information related to cat and dog testing, as well as calling on the NIH to “immediately terminate all NIAID [National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases] grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other funding for dog and cat research approved between November 2, 1984, when Fauci became NIAID chief, until your start date of March 31, 2025, and prohibit all future NIH funding for harmful dog and cat testing.”
NIH Deputy Director Nicole Kleinstreuer told NPR in June, “We have no intention of just phasing out animal studies overnight. We know that animal studies are still very important and often scientifically justified.”
One experiment, revealed by WCW, involved 44 beagle puppies undergoing a cordectomy surgery to prevent them from barking. The NIAID said the surgery was done to reduce noise to destress the animals and reduce the decibel levels of noise to OSHA allowable limits to prevent hearing loss. WCW obtained documents that showed the puppies were scheduled to be euthanized after the surgery.
NIH ENDS FUNDING FOR STUDIES RELYING SOLELY ON ANIMAL TESTING
The question of whether Fauci has funded these projects was previously answered by the NIAID, which said these studies are peer-reviewed and therefore rarely make it to him. When asked by Congress whether he signed off on the studies, he said he did, but that they were also peer-reviewed.
The use of cats and dogs in research is regulated through laws such as the Animal Welfare Act, which excludes lab-bred birds, mice, and rats. Animal cruelty constitutes intentionally inflicting pain on an animal for several reasons, but often excludes the purposes of experimentation. Some view experimenting on animals as still essential because experimenting on humans could have legal ramifications.