House spending bill eliminates VA testing on dogs, cats, monkeys

The spending bill passed by the House of Representatives Wednesday includes language that would end what animal advocates say is cruel and unnecessary taxpayer-funded testing performed on dogs, cats, and monkeys by the Department of Veterans Affairs.  

“The Department shall implement a plan under which the Secretary will eliminate the research conducted using canines, felines, or non-human primates by not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act,” says the bill, which is expected to be taken up by the Senate before a Friday deadline to shutdown the government. 

“This is the first time in history that Congress has enacted legislation ordering an agency to completely end experimentation on particular animal species,” says White Coat Waste Project, an organization that has long lobbied for an end to animal testing.

The bill, if passed, would put the brakes on the VA’s attempt to restart cat experiments at its Stokes laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Rep. Dina Titus, a Nevada Democrat, is a longtime opponent of taxpayer-funded animal experiments. Congress has previously restricted but not eliminated federal spending on dog, cat, and primate testing.