Watchdog claims victory over Pentagon animal testing as lawmakers demand accounting of taxpayer funds

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After several lawmakers criticized the Pentagon for sanctioning painful experiments on dogs, an animal-testing watchdog group said the Defense Department is only the latest agency to be exposed. Now, one-by-one, departments have been forced to put a stop to it. 

One month after Fox News reported on the matter, representatives Young Kim, R-Calif., and Donald Davis, D-N.C., led more than two dozen House members in demanding a specific accounting of how the Pentagon spent taxpayer money in this way.

At the same time, a spokesperson for the White Coat Waste Project (WCW), an organization dedicated to ending the taxpayer-funded experimentation on animals, said he hopes the new attention, as well as a rider in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), will make the Pentagon the second known federal agency to halt painful testing on animals. 

Justin Goodman, WCW’s vice president, said in addition to the experimentation highlighted in June, Pentagon-sanctioned testing has also reportedly been "electroshocking" cats to study erectile dysfunction.

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A beagle in snow (iStock)

He noted the exposure of the testing led House lawmakers to insert an amendment into the 2025 NDAA to ban the Pentagon from continuing with any biomedical pet testing. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., a member of the Congressional Dog Caucus, drafted that particular amendment. 

The letter, addressed to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, demands information on the timeline for dog testing, the number of dogs who underwent experimentation, the USDA "pain category" of Pentagon animal tests and an explanation of the testing relative to the fact the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) does not mandate canine testing for human drugs.

"We are concerned by the DOD's use of taxpayer dollars on inhumane dog experiments for human drugs and do not believe it is a prudent use of its resources," the letter states.

It also asked for figures on current grants, contracts and expenditures related to testing at the present and within the last five years. Goodman noted the particular defense contract relating to the beagle testing revealed in June ended July 31.

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A plane flies over the Pentagon Jan. 11, 2024.  (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

"This new letter also follows and cites our successful effort in the NDAA to unite Democrats and Republicans to defund all the DOD use (of cat and dog testing)." Goodman, whose group helped draft the letter, said.

"We have obviously exposed drug testing on puppies and these kitten-crippling experiments, but we don't know the full extent of this wasteful spending because there's such a lack of transparency about it.

"We eliminated dog and cat testing at the VA in recent years. And now we are working to make the DOD follow suit. And, unfortunately, there are several other agencies, including the NIH and the USDA, which are also spending taxpayer dollars to experiment on pets."

Kim, the main signatory on the letter, said the Pentagon spent nearly $1 million on beagle testing alone, and she called the practice "inhumane and cruel."

"The fact that this study was conducted despite DOD’s policy banning the use of dogs and cats for medical or surgical training and weapons development research shows we must continue to hold the administration’s feet to the fire and demand accountability," she said.

Davis added that public funds should never be used for such testing and that Congress must work to stop the practices.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., who signed the letter, called the practice "horrendous."

"It must stop immediately," she said. "As co-chair of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, I’m proud to work across the aisle on efforts to stop DOD and other government agencies from abusing these innocent dogs and cats with cruel, costly and absolutely unnecessary experiments."

Her fellow New York Republican, Michael Lawler, added that using taxpayer funds to experiment on animals is the "last thing" the Pentagon should be doing.

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"Pet abuse is wrong, and we should all be working to end it. That must include the Biden administration, who have shown a propensity to testing on cats and dogs," he said.

Two other signers offered similar takes, with Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, calling the practice taxpayer-funded "torture [of] animals," and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., saying the Pentagon should look to proven, non-animal testing methods that are available.

In response, a Pentagon spokesperson said that, as with all congressional correspondence, the agency will "respond directly to the authors."

"It wouldn’t be appropriate for the department to comment on proposed legislation," the spokesperson said. 

In his interview with Fox News Digital, Goodman also discussed a 2022 letter from Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough to Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., regarding feline experimentation to benefit stroke survivors and vets who have undergone amputations.

McDonough wrote to Heinrich, chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the VA, telling him he approved of such a study and included a legally-mandated report on it.

Goodman said the VA has since been compelled by Congress to suspend any active testing on cats, dogs or primates by 2026 and took issue with any claim McDonough has been opposed to such testing.

A metal plaque on the facade of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington, D.C. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

In response, a spokesperson for the VA said approval of a study does "not at all mean advocacy for the continuation of the policy" and suggested McDonough has been a bureaucratic leader in trying to halt such tests.

"Under Secretary McDonough’s leadership, we are no longer conducting any feline testing and are now bringing an end to animal research on sensitive species," VA press secretary Terrence Hayes said.

"Historically, VA has conducted research using sensitive species only when absolutely necessary to care for those who have served in our military. Over the last 19 years, VA has proactively reduced the number of studies involving sensitive species, driving an over 90% decrease in these types of studies," Hayes added.

"The allegation that Secretary McDonough was personally advocating for this research is false.

Asked about the matter, Kim said it makes her wonder where else such testing is happening in the federal government.

"Resorting to testing animals should never happen, especially as we advance technological innovation," Kim said.