Washington D.C. – The Department of Defense (DOD) has initiated the cancellation of multi-million dollar contracts for cruel dog and cat laboratory experiments worldwide, a move largely attributed to sustained pressure and investigations by the taxpayer watchdog group White Coat Waste Project (WCW). This action contrasts sharply with ongoing concerns surrounding the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which faces criticism for renewing and funding animal research, including dog labs.
The Department of Defense's decision follows extensive advocacy from WCW, which revealed significant taxpayer-funded animal testing. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is credited with spearheading these cancellations, with reports indicating that over $57 million in active Pentagon-funded dog and cat experiments have been cut. These terminated contracts include a $10 million agreement with the University of Pittsburgh for inhumane experiments on cats, involving procedures such as shoving marbles and balloons into their rectums for constipation and erectile dysfunction studies.
White Coat Waste Project, a non-profit organization focused on ending government waste on animal testing, has been a leading voice in exposing and campaigning against such practices. Their efforts have reportedly influenced policy changes across multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency, pushing for the reduction and eventual elimination of animal testing.
Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health's approach to animal research presents a more complex picture. While the NIH has recently announced a new initiative to prioritize human-based research technologies and will no longer issue funding opportunities exclusively for animal-only studies, it continues to face scrutiny. White Coat Waste Project alleges that the NIH is "renewing $ for dog labs, funding new ones & insisting 'we have no intention of just phasing out animal studies overnight' & 'grants involving animal studies will continue'." WCW specifically claims that the NIH has approved nine new grants for dog research since April, totaling over $12 million.
This divergence highlights an ongoing tension in federal animal research policy. While the DOD, under the Trump administration, appears to be rapidly divesting from certain animal experiments, the NIH is navigating a gradual transition, emphasizing new non-animal methodologies while seemingly maintaining support for existing or scientifically justified animal models. Animal welfare advocates continue to press for a complete phase-out of animal testing across all government-funded research.