U.S. Congress Votes To Cut Funding For Cruel Dog & Cat Experiments Following WAN’s Exclusive Story

Photo by: White Coat Waste Project 

In June, World Animal News (WAN) broke an exclusive story exposing how the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is spending $1 million on cruel dog experiments. Following WAN’s story on White Coat Waste Project’s (WCW) investigation, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bipartisan amendment to the 2025 Defense budget cutting funding for the DOD’s dog and cat testing.

Now, documents obtained by WCW through a public records request to the DOD regarding the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) have revealed details on DOD funding for deadly testing on cats. According to government records, the DOD has awarded Pitt a $10.9 million grant to conduct various spinal cord injury experiments on cats.

In a series of disturbing, taxpayer-funded experiments at the University of Pittsburgh, cats obtained from commercial kitten breeder Liberty Research were sedated, cut open, had water-filled condoms inserted into their colons, and glass marbles shoved into their rectums. The cats then had their backs cut open and electrodes were inserted into their spines. The experimenters then electro-shocked the cats to make them defecate the marbles and videotaped the procedure.

The same DOD grant is also funding similar invasive spinal cord experiments on cats at Pitt related to bladder and sexual functioning. The project began in September 2020 and is scheduled to continue until October 2025.

In response to the revelations, Congresswoman Young Kim (R-CA) initiated a bipartisan letter signed by 25 lawmakers demanding details from the DOD about its dog and cat testing. In a statement, Rep. Kim remarked, “Animals should be treated with care, not cruelty. There’s no excuse for inhumane testing on dogs and cats on the taxpayer’s dime, especially when alternatives are available. The U.S. government should not fund painful, unnecessary testing on innocent animals, period. I’ll keep holding this administration accountable.”

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), the co-chair of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus who also signed the letter, posted on X, “The United States government should never use taxpayer dollars to fund inhumane and unnecessary testing on innocent dogs and animals, and must immediately end this cruel and indefensible practice.”

When Congress returns after the election in November, it will be voting on the 2025 Defense budget. WCW is working with Democrats and Republicans in Congress, as well as a diverse coalition of veterans groups, animal advocates, and others to ensure the amendment defunding DOD dog and cat testing is included in the final bill.

Congressman Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), who led the amendment to defund DOD dog and cat testing, said, “Taxpayers don’t want their money spent on unnecessary and harmful experiments. I will continue to work across the aisle with my colleagues to end inhumane tests on dogs and cats.”

“I’m leading bipartisan efforts to stop government testing on cats and dogs because taxpayers’ hard-earned money should not be wasted on outdated, unnecessary, and inhumane experiments, especially when more effective, economical, and humane alternatives are readily available,” said Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC), who cosponsored the amendment.

“White Coat Waste Project’s recent investigations uncovered how the DOD is wasting millions of our money to poison puppies and electro-shock and cripple kittens in barbaric experiments that are opposed by a supermajority of taxpayers across the political spectrum. Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pay for the DOD to butcher beagles and kill cats in wasteful experiments,” said Justin Goodman, WCW’s Senior Vice President. “In recent years, we’ve defunded and eliminated dog and cat testing at the Department of Veterans Affairs and now we’re uniting Democrats and Republicans in Congress to make the DOD follow suit. The solution is simple: Stop the money. Stop the madness!”

White Coat Waste Project is urging people to contact Congress to express their support for year-end legislation to defund the DOD’s cruel dog and cat testing HERE!