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Experiments under fire as Wisconsin breeder remains under scrutiny
A bipartisan group of 12 US Representatives – six Democrats and six Republicans – have introduced legislation that would prohibit the National Institutes of Health from conducting or supporting scientific research that subjects dogs or cats to "significant" pain or distress.
BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. - A bipartisan group of 12 US Representatives – six Democrats and six Republicans – have introduced legislation that would prohibit the National Institutes of Health from conducting or supporting scientific research that subjects dogs or cats to "significant" pain or distress.
No more support for painful tests
What we know:
The Preventing Animal Abuse and Waste (PAAW) Act specifically targets experiments in which animal subjects are assigned to Categories D and E on the USDA pain scale. Category D involves pain or distress the animals experience that is treated to minimize discomfort. Category E involves pain or distress for which pain relief is intentionally withheld.
The bill was filed by South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace who has worked closely with the White Coat Waste Project, an animal rights and taxpayer watchdog group.
"We don't want our tax dollars being spent to torture pets," said Justin Goodman, the group's Vice President of Public Policy.
Unconscionable
What they're saying:
Earlier this month, 11 Congressional Republicans sent a letter to NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya urging him to "immediately terminate funding for barbaric dog and cat experiments."
Two days later, on July 10, Bhattacharya addressed the issue on his official government podcast with his guest, NIH Deputy Director for Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) Nicole Kleinstreuer.
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Bhattacharya asked Kleinstreuer what she believed NIH policy should be for experiments involving dogs and cats.
"Are you asking for my personal opinion," Kleinstreuer asked.
"Yes, I'd love your opinion," Bhattacharya answered.
"I don't think we should do research on dogs or cats," Kleinstreuer said. "Absolutely not. I think it's unconscionable."
A tipping point
Local perspective:
The public statement was welcome news to Amy Van Aartsen, co-founder of the Marty Project, a non-profit lobbying firm that advocates for eliminating the use of dogs in human product safety testing.
"I believe this is a tipping point," Van Aartsen said.
Van Aartsen lives and works in Madison, about a 30-minute drive from Ridglan Farms, one of the largest and most controversial beagle-breeding farms in America.
Ridglan breeds 3-to-4,000 beagle puppies every year and sells them to laboratories for scientific research. It is currently the subject of a criminal investigation by LaCrosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke who was appointed as a special prosecutor to consider animal cruelty charges in Dane County.
Earlier this year, FOX6 Investigators found dogs from Ridglan Farms were sold to the University of Missouri, where researchers infested them with disease-ridden ticks to test a vaccine against Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The research records obtained by White Coat Waste and provided to FOX6 for review show many of the dogs were listed in USDA Category D, but a handful were classified as Category E – what Goodman calls a "maximum pain" experiment.
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50,000 dogs and cats
By the numbers:
The federal government spends more than $20 billion per year to support research on more than 775,000 animals (and that does not even count mice, rats and fish). Among them are more than 54,000 dogs and cats. And according to data from the USDA, more than 16,000 dogs and cats (nearly one-third) are subjected to pain or distress.
Critics say the money is largely wasted since promising drugs tested on animals, more often than not, fail when they finally reach humans.
"There's very little return on investment on this," Goodman said. "But there's certain suffering for animals, and that's something the American people are tired of paying for."
Misplaced accountability
Dig deeper:
While animal rights groups have been largely unified in their efforts to end dog and cat testing, recent developments have opened a fissure.
Even after NIH promised to phase out dog and cat testing, White Coat Waste turned up the pressure, publicly calling out Deputy Director Kleinstreuer. She said on the director's podcast that their ability to terminate existing contracts may be constrained by the law.
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"At least they're saying the right things about wanting to phase these things out," Goodman said. "But they're making excuses for why they can't do it."
Van Aartsen says Goodman's public attacks on Bhattacharya and Kleinstreuer are misplaced.
"Honestly, I really don’t understand it," Van Aartsen said. "Those two have only been in office a matter of months and to have this announcement come out so early is very encouraging."
Goodman and Van Aartsen still agree on one thing – that dogs live their best lives outside a research lab.
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