#BeagleGate: Dr. Fauci Uses Taxpayer Money to Fund Cruel Torture of Beagles for Drug Research

Lawmakers across both sides of the aisle are demanding answers from Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Chief Medical Advisor to the President after documents revealed he permitted the use of millions of taxpayer dollars to fund inhumane, cruel, torturous, and unnecessary experiments on Beagles in the name of drug research.

Beagles are commonly used in animal testing and research for the same reasons they make such wonderful companions. They are small in size, docile, have a gentle nature, and don’t typically bite, even when being hurt. More than 75,000 are used in experiments each year in the United States alone, to test anything from cosmetics to medications and household chemicals.

Now, White Coat Waste Project, a non-profit organization founded to put an end to the use of taxpayer dollars to fund animal research, uncovered evidence that the NIAID, led by Dr. Fauci, has used millions in tax money to fund horrific and cruel experiments on Beagles.

In one experiment, 44 six-month-old Beagle puppies were repeatedly injected or force-fed experimental drugs for several weeks before being killed and dissected. What’s more, tax dollars funded surgical removal of the puppies’ vocal cords ahead of the experiments, so as not to be loud and disruptive in the laboratory.

In another, Beagles were trapped in mesh cages with sand flies, forced to endure repeated, painful bites from the disease-carrying insects. In another experiment, Fauci’s team strapped the infectious sand flies to Beagles at the NIAID lab in Bethesda, Maryland, allowing them to feed on the dogs for 22 straight months before the dogs, covered in painful and infected lesions, were killed and dissected.

These, and other experiments, were all performed with funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, of which Dr. Fauci has been Director since 1984. The NIAID is funded by taxpayer dollars.

The use of Beagles and other animals in research continues, at a great cost to taxpayers, despite the FDA and NIH’s own reports that animal testing of human drugs is ineffective. In its 2016-2020 Strategic Plan, the NIH wrote, “animal models often fail to provide good ways to mimic disease or predict how drugs will work in humans, resulting in much wasted time and money while patients wait for therapies.” Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated clearly that they “do not mandate that human drugs be studied in dogs.”

Still, according to the White Coat Waste Project, the National Institutes of Health continues to dedicate 47% of its $32 billion budget each year to cruel, ineffective animal experiments that are a proven failure.

In response to the WCW findings, a group of 24 bipartisan lawmakers, led by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), are now demanding that Dr. Fauci provide answers about the experiments they are calling ‘cruel’ and a ‘reprehensible misuse of taxpayer funds.’

In a letter to Dr. Fauci, lawmakers asked for answers to the following questions by November 19:

• How many drug tests involving dogs have been funded by NIAID since January 2018? How much taxpayer money has been spent on this testing? 

• Since the Food and Drug Administration has clearly stated that it does not require dog testing for new drugs, why has NIAID continued to commission testing on dogs?

• What has NIAID done to explore the use of non-canine and non-animal alternatives to meet FDA data requirements?

• Has NIAID ever made any dogs available for adoption after the conclusion of an experiment or testing? If so, how many? if so, why not?

• Why has NIAID contracted for cordectomies when they appear to be scientifically and medically unnecessary? What is the average cost for each cordectomy performed?

‘De-barking Beagles and poisoning puppies in experiments with our tax dollars is a national disgrace that’s uniting Republicans and Democrats, and we applaud Rep. Nancy Mace and her colleagues on both sides of the aisle for holding the NIH accountable for this government waste and animal abuse,’ Justin Goodman, Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy at taxpayer watchdog group White Coat Waste Project, said.

Statement from White Coat Waste Project

“We are proud that our blockbuster #BeagleGate investigation and campaign has united taxpayers across the country to oppose cruel and wasteful animal experiments funded by Dr. Anthony Fauci and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.   

As a result of this viral media attention, we want to reaffirm our goal and make it absolutely clear:

We are asking Dr. Fauci for answers on the NIH’s beagle experiments — and we are asking him to end his long history of wasteful government spending in animal labs. That’s all.

As a single-issue organization, we do not take any stand on Dr. Fauci and the NIH’s other policies or issues — masks, vaccine mandates, the overall COVID response, or frankly anything else. We’re only working to end his funding for these cruel experiments.

Since White Coat Waste Project launched our first campaign in 2016, we have held federal government agency chiefs who fund animal testing accountable in both Democratic and Republican administrations.

That’s how we successfully pressured the Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) to cut its dog testing to an all-time low in spite of hostile VA leadership during President Trump’s administration.

From the VA, to the USDA, EPA, FDA, NIH, and beyond, we expose ALL government agencies who fund cruel and wasteful tax-funded animal experimentation…and lead the campaigns to defund the experiments.

All Americans, Democrats and Republicans alike, can unite on this one point: taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pay $20 billion for painful and wasteful animal experiments.

That’s all we do. We’re proud to be a big tent!

To be clear: it is 100% possible to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with Dr. Fauci on most public policies and issues…but go “toe to toe” with him on the issue of beagle experiments.

We are non-partisan and are proud to work with Congressmembers on both sides of the aisle.“

How can you help? TAKE ACTION! Tell Congress that you don’t want your tax dollars wasted on abusing dogs and puppies in cruel and unnecessary experiments!

Related: Are Your Products Truly Cruelty Free? Find Out Here

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