Bipartisan Lawmakers Introduce Bill to End Federal Funding for Dog and Cat Biomedical Experiments
U.S. Representatives Nick Langworthy (R-NY) and Mark Pocan (D-WI), along with other lawmakers, have introduced legislation aimed at ending Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) funding for biomedical experiments involving live dogs and cats. The proposed bill, H.R. 10522, known as the Companion Animal Protection Against Cruel Testing Act, seeks to prohibit the use of HHS funds for the purchase, breeding, housing, transportation, and experimental use of these animals in covered biomedical research. Additionally, the legislation includes provisions to facilitate the adoption or rescue of animals no longer required for federally funded research. This legislative effort coincides with the 'March to End Animal Testing,' a 207-mile trek concluding at Marshall BioResources, a facility that houses thousands of beagles, cats, ferrets, and pigs for biomedical research. The march highlights growing public and advocacy group concerns regarding animal welfare in scientific testing.