Originally published by The Hill Written by Reps. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) and Dina Titus (D-Nev.)

After years of persistent advocacy from Congress, organizations and animal lovers across the country, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) just confirmed, “We are no longer conducting any feline testing and are now bringing an end to animal research on sensitive species,” meaning cats, dogs, and non-human primates. This marks a significant victory for all who have tirelessly campaigned to end cruel and outdated government-funded animal experiments.

However, this change did not occur overnight. The VA’s involvement in painful and lethal experiments on cats and dogs dates back to at least the 1950s, an era characterized by practices such as lobotomies, widespread endorsement of cigarette smoking by doctors, and the use of X-rays in shoe stores. Although science has evolved considerably since then, some of the VA’s research practices remained stubbornly entrenched in the past.

In 2016, when the non-profit White Coat Waste Project first uncovered the VA’s harmful experiments on dogs and cats, including giving puppies heart attacks by injecting latex into their arteries and severing kittens’ spinal cords, the agency doubled down on the old-fashioned practice as “necessary” and “essential,” despite scientifically and ethically superior alternatives —like organs-on-chips and AI models —being available.

Republicans and Democrats in Congress, animal advocates, and veterans groups pushed back on the VA’s outdated animal testing. For years, we’ve proposed, enacted and repeatedly renewed historic legislation restricting funding for the VA’s testing on dogs and cats, creating new public reporting requirements, and directing the agency to eliminate the practice.

An independent review found that the VA’s dog experiments were unnecessary, and a VA Inspector General report concluded that the agency funded and conducted some dog testing illegally.

In 2022, we saw some success when the VA effectively ended its harmful dog testing. However, at the same time, they unveiled a controversial plan to conduct a new painful experiment on cats involving outdated, unnecessary and painful procedures.

Following criticism from Congress, the press and countless emails and calls from concerned citizens, the VA has abandoned the cat testing plan, stating, “When this project was proposed…the cat model was the accepted standard…More recent standards allow the goals of this project to be achieved with other approaches.”

Ending the VA’s unnecessary pet experimentation has been a bipartisan success story. Over 125 lawmakers from both parties have supported these efforts. VA secretaries under the Trump and Biden administrations have backed initiatives to reduce and eliminate painful experiments on dogs and cats.

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