New revelations that the Department of Defense is funding painful drug experiments on beagles in order to win FDA drug approval have pet lovers infuriated.
An investigation by the Whitecoat Waste Project (WCW) has found that the Department of Defense is spending nearly $1 million on a trial that will run until July, in which dogs are force-fed large amounts of an experimental drug meant to treat Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Rep. Nancy Mace, a founding member of the Congressional Dog Caucus, criticized the report in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying taxpayer money should be spent on innovation, not animal cruelty.
Mace added that he and other lawmakers had previously successfully pressured then-NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci to end similar painful drug tests on puppies and acknowledge that alternative testing methods were possible.
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A beagle drinking water to cool off in the shade of the grass in the summer sun. (iStock)
“It’s time to put an end to these cruel practices,” Mace said.
“These barbaric and outdated practices must stop, which is why we’re leading the charge with legislation like the PAAW Act to keep our pets out of the hands of NIH.”
Mace’s Prevention of Animal Cruelty and Waste Act (PAAW Act) would amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit the Director of NIH from conducting or funding research that inflicts significant pain or suffering on dogs or cats.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida, co-founder of the influential Democratic Congressional Dog Caucus, said he was dismayed to hear that beagles in particular were being used in such experiments.
“I’ve had beagles come through my office who were rescued from harsh laboratory conditions, and it’s incredibly heartbreaking to hear what they’ve been through,” he said.
“Taxpayers don’t want their money being used for unnecessary and harmful experiments, and I will continue to work with my colleagues to end inhumane testing on dogs.”
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The Pentagon as seen from Air Force One over Washington DC (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Justin Goodman, executive vice president of taxpayer watchdog group WCW, said in an interview with Fox News Digital on Thursday that there is no federal mandate to test experimental human drugs on dogs and criticized the Defense Department for funding such testing.
“These studies are ostensibly being conducted to gain approval from the FDA for human testing of the drug, but the FDA has made it clear that these types of studies on dogs are not required for safety testing of human drugs,” he said.
Goodman explained that WCW researchers recently discovered the contract after combing through federal government spending databases.
“I think a lot of this wasteful animal testing is deeply rooted in these bureaucratic structures,” he added.
“That’s why organizations like White Coat Waste are working with Congress to turn things around and stop wasteful spending on outdated and unnecessary testing of dogs and other animals, which the vast majority of taxpayers oppose. It’s a waste of taxpayer money.”
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According to WCW’s findings, the experiment was commissioned by the Army, and the watchdog group said such experiments typically involve “dozens of puppies being abused and then killed and dissected.” Goodman said the Pentagon project is scheduled to begin in 2023 and run through July 31.
The Department of Defense acknowledged a request for comment but had not yet officially responded as of press time, and Spinogenix, which was listed as a grant recipient in documents obtained by WCW, did not respond to inquiries.
Fox News Digital has also reached out to top members of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus in both parties for additional comment.
