Since 2016, we’ve been working to find, expose and defund expensive, wasteful and painful taxpayer-funded experiments on puppies and kittens in labs run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Since WCW launched our “Prisoners of Waste” campaign to end the VA’s taxpayer-funded experiments, we’ve cut federal dog testing to its lowest-ever level, and raised unprecedented awareness like this font page USA Today investigation.
Thanks to our investigations, lobbying and advocacy from our 3 million members, we’ve successfully exposed and shut down cruel VA dog and cat labs—including the government’s last maximum pain experiments on puppies—across the country.
Department of Veterans Affairs submits 5-year plan to cut canine experiments, McGuire Medical Center in Richmond continues buying dogs. More @8News at 6pmhttps://t.co/MRTN98Ryum
— Kerri O’Brien (@Kerri8News) June 10, 2021
The VA confirms that since our campaign launched, we’ve cut the use of dogs in painful VA experiments by 75 percent, to its lowest point in over a decade! The VA’s abuse of cats is also now 70 percent lower than it was in 2011.
The report includes a detailed plan to strengthen oversight of these experiments and more aggressively promote and invest in alternatives to animal testing with a goal of phasing out the use of dogs, cats and primates by 2025.
This is the first time in history that a federal agency has committed to cutting testing on dogs, cats and primates. It’s a big deal, and an example for other agencies to follow.
The VA has used our taxpayer dollars to fund deadly and unnecessary experiments on dogs at facilities all across the United States. This is inhumane and needs to stop immediately. pic.twitter.com/UnClfu8Juf
— Rep. Brian Mast (@RepBrianMast) June 11, 2021
We’ve been working to end to cruel & wasteful dog testing at the @DeptVetAffairs as it’s unnecessary & harmful to our beloved animals. Pleased the VA has submitted to Congress its plan to phase out the use of dogs & cats in these experiments. https://t.co/R7YkUnLssh
— Rep. Ted Lieu (@RepTedLieu) June 17, 2021
WRIC also confirmed that the Richmond VA has adopted out at least one dog who survived the laboratory, a move that follows the creation of an agency-wide lab animal retirement policy secured by WCW back in 2018.
Whistleblower photos of dogs abused in heart attack experiments at the Richmond VA Medical Center.
None of this would be possible without the outstanding leadership of Waste Warriors Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) and combat-wounded Army veteran Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) who’ve led a bipartisan coalition of over 125 other lawmakers who cosponsored their PUPPERS Act, CATS Act and related legislation to end the VA’s wasteful animal testing.
We’re not resting on our laurels! VA labs in Richmond, St. Louis are still abusing puppies, and the last two VA cat labs are operating in Cleveland and Louisville.