After years of inhuman and lethal experiments on dogs, especially beagles, the National Institute of Health (NIH) laboratory in Bethesda, Maryland has been shut down by President Donald Trump.
Headed by Dr Anthony Fauci from 1984 till 2022, the laboratory has not just been accused of animal torture in the name of testing but allegedly funding ghastly research in Tunisia where beagles were trapped and bitten by sandflies for days till they were finally killed and dissected for study.
House of Horrors for Beagles
For some time now, animal welfare groups such as White Coat Waste (WCW) have been strongly campaigning against NIH labs using dogs and animals for medical experimentation. The organization uncovered federal experiments where dogs were infected with pneumonia causing bacteria that forced them into septic shock.
In a report in the Daily Mail Justin Goodman, WCW senior vice president of advocacy and public policy was quoted as saying “’Then they’re allowed to suffer for up to 96 hours, and the ones who don’t die during that period are killed at the end of the project.’
A Major Outcry and Investigations
Approximately 2,133 died during this process, with the government estimated to have paid between $1,000 and $1,500 per beagle from Envigo’s puppy mill in Cumberland, Va. These practices drew widespread criticism from animal rights organizations and lawmakers alike, leading to increased scrutiny of the lab’s operations with the WCW leading the battle against the horrific practices.
Anthony Bellotti, founder and president of WCW, stated, “As the watchdog that first uncovered and battled Dr. Fauci’s beagle tests, we’re proud that White Coat Waste has closed the NIH’s last in-house beagle laboratory following a hard-fought nine-year-long campaign.”
NIH and Dr Fauci Under Scrutiny
The controversy also brought renewed attention to Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). While Fauci acknowledged that he signed off on certain experiments, he maintained that these were approved through standard peer-review processes. Nonetheless, the association of his name with the experiments led to significant public backlash
The controversy known as #BeagleGate erupted after allegations emerged that Dr. Anthony Fauci, then director of NIAID and chief medical advisor to the president, approved over $1 million in funding for disturbing experiments involving beagles. These included a reported $424,000 toward studies where dogs were allegedly exposed to sandflies where they were bitten to death, a $375,800 grant to a Tunisian lab for similar experiments, and additional funding for drug trials in which beagles were injected, their vocal cords cut and finally euthanized. The backlash prompted a bipartisan group of 24 lawmakers, led by Rep. Nancy Mace, to demand answers from Fauci and NIAID regarding the nature and oversight of these tests.
What the NIAD Says
In response, NIAID emphasized its commitment to ethical standards, asserting that all animal research is peer-reviewed, overseen by veterinarians, and conducted under strict federal regulations. The agency denied funding the Tunisian fly-bite study specifically, stating that claims linking it to the NIH were erroneous. Following the clarification, the journal responsible for publishing the study issued a correction, confirming that neither the NIH nor the Wellcome Trust funded the research as previously reported.
While it was later revealed that the NIH did not actually fund the fly bite study, the organization did however admit to funding another Tunisian study where beagles were used in the testing and research of a new vaccine for leishmaniasis.
But (according to the Daily Mail), the NIAID did admit to funding a separate study in Tunisia that used beagles to test a new vaccine for leishmaniasis. The study involved dogs immunized with the vaccine and then being exposed to sand flies in an open space during the day at the height of sand fly season in Tunisia.
The Broader Implications
The shutdown of the NIH’s beagle testing lab represents a significant victory for animal rights advocates and a shift in the scientific community’s approach to research. It underscores the impact of sustained public pressure and advocacy in effecting change within governmental institutions.
The closure of the beagle testing lab aligns with broader efforts to reduce and eventually eliminate animal testing in scientific research. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya announced the shutdown as part of an initiative to phase out animal testing in favor of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence. He stated, “We put forward a policy to replace … “.
Other agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA … and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are also working to reduce animal testing in favor of more humane and scientifically accurate alternatives.
As the scientific community continues to explore and adopt alternative research methods, the hope is that such practices will lead to more ethical and effective outcomes, benefiting both human health and animal welfare.
Andrew Alpin from India is the Brand Manager of Doggo digest. Andrew is an experienced content specialist and social media manager with a passion for writing. His forte includes health and wellness, Travel, Animals, and Nature. A nature nomad, Andrew is obsessed with mountains and loves high-altitude trekking. He has been on several Himalayan treks in India including the Everest Base Camp in Nepal.
