NIH Closes Research Labs Amid 40+ Years of Allegations of Beagle Abuse – One America News Network
OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
6:54 PM – Monday, May 5, 2025
Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), recently revealed on Fox News that the agency has officially closed its last beagle research facility located on the NIH campus.
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This announcement came soon after Special Government Employee (SGE) Elon Musk declared on X his intent to investigate the funding behind the troubling beagle experiments.
Animal rights advocates and dog lovers have consistently criticized the NIH’s beagle research operations.
Beagles utilized in NIH experiments, or those funded by the NIH, are often chosen for studies requiring specific, manageable, and gentle behavior—qualities that beagles naturally possess, making them frequent subjects in testing.
The beagle’s gentle and trusting disposition can make them easier to “handle,” or, depending on perspective, exploit and abuse in laboratory conditions.
A report from the White Coat Waste (WCW) Project highlighted the lab’s contentious history, noting that it subjected over 2,000 beagles to pneumonia-causing bacteria, drained their blood, and induced septic shock in fatal experiments.
Following the announcement, Anthony Bellotti, founder and president of WCW, expressed his gratitude to President Donald Trump for terminating the heavily criticized project.
“Taxpayers and pet owners shouldn’t be held responsible for the NIH’s beagle mistreatment,” Bellotti stated. “We commend the President for eliminating this wasteful NIH expenditure and will continue to advocate until all dog labs are defunded, both domestically and internationally. The solution is straightforward: halt the funding. Stop the insanity!”
In April, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its plans to gradually eliminate the need for animal testing in antibody treatments and other drugs, opting instead for tests involving materials that replicate human organs.
Lee Zeldin, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, also revealed intentions to revive a policy from the first Trump administration aimed at phasing out animal research over time.
Moreover, ETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo indicated that PETA stands ready to assist and is seeking updates on the dogs’ health to determine if they are fit for rehoming.
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