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Taxpayer-Funded Dog Research Faces New Scrutiny With Push to Cut NIH Funding

Director of the National Institutes of Health Jay Bhattacharya, joined by President Donald Trump (left) and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

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Two advocacy groups are calling for the cancellation of taxpayer-funded medical research on dogs at a Michigan lab, claiming that the “experiments” have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of dogs.

Representatives from the two groups—the Wilberforce Institute, a conservative animal rights group, and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which opposes animal experiments—are set to speak Monday with officials from the National Institutes of Health about canceling funding for the lab at Wayne State University in Detroit.

Last week, leaders of the two organizations wrote to Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya to deny future funding for the Wayne State lab.

“The heart failure experiments, begun in 1991, have failed to produce results for American patients, wasted almost $15 million in taxpayer money, and killed hundreds of dogs,” says the letter last week from Liam Gray, executive director of the Wilberforce Institute, and Ryan Merkley, director of research advocacy at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, to Kennedy and Bhattacharya.

The letter notes grants are set to expire on March 31 and asks that the NIH deny continued funding. It also provides alleged examples of animals suffering.

“In 2021, the university’s then-president told Michigan state lawmakers that the experiments have ‘the potential to impact the health and well-being of countless individuals’ without providing any specifics. At that point, after 30 years, patients deserved more than ‘potential,'” the letter states.

The organizations note that in February, 11 Michigan state legislators—eight Republicans and three Democrats—wrote to the Department of Health and Human Services and NIH to request an end to the research on animals.

Wayne State University is committed to responsible and ethical practices in animal research, said Matt Lockwood, associate vice president for university communications.

“Wayne State University has the highest level of ethical standards in conducting biomedical research, as well as the highest level of care for animals used in research, recognized through its accreditation by AAALAC International—an agency whose mission is to improve the welfare of animals in science and education—since its inception,” Lockwood told The Daily Signal in a statement, referencing the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector recently visited the lab and gave a positive report, Lockwood said.

Speaking of the lab’s funding sources, Lockwood said, “With these funding mechanisms, all research proposals undergo rigorous scientific review for the benefit to their specific area of research, and only those research studies that have a higher potential for societal impact are funded.”

“The university strictly adheres to the policy of using only as many animals as scientifically necessary, minimizing animal discomfort and distress, and using alternatives whenever feasible.”

The NIH recently announced a $150 million investment in expanding research methods to reduce the use of animal models.

“NIH enforces strict policies to protect animal welfare and maintain rigorous oversight as the agency works to reduce reliance on animal models over time,” HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard told The Daily Signal in a statement.

“NIH actively supports the development and use of new approach methodologies and will continue to invest in these alternatives.”

The Trump administration has already taken actions to curb medical research on animals. Last year, both the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency announced the end of animal testing and funding. The alternative was “human-relevant methods,” which include artificial intelligence.

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