The National Institute of Health (NIH) will not use dogs as test subjects for upcoming experiments, Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief White House medical adviser and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) head, confirmed. The decision follows the work of the White Coat Waste Project (WCW) as well as Sen. Joni Ernst’s (R-IA) letter to Fauci regarding the use of taxpayer funds on animal experiments.

Using Freedom of Information Act documents, WCW exposed NIAID’s cruel experiments with dogs, some of which involved injecting puppies with cocaine.

More recently, Fauci’s NIAID awarded a $1.8 million contract which appeared to fund more dog experiments — specifically “a series of tests on dogs and other animals to evaluate an experimental drug developed by a private biotechnology company to treat hay fever,” as Sen. Ernst detailed in her June 2 letter, demanding answers from Fauci.

“I understand that at least five different NIAID-funded tests on dogs, including puppies as young as six months old, are planned for this drug and will involve invasive, painful, and potentially deadly procedures,” she wrote, demanding answers.

“The FDA has stated dog testing is not mandated for human drugs. Did NIAID consult with the FDA to specifically discuss whether dog testing was required? Did NIAID propose the use of any alternatives to dog or other animal testing?” she added.

In a June 22 response, Fauci confirmed that “no experiments utilizing the canine model are being conducted under this contract”:

“Dr. Fauci was barking up the wrong tree when he decided to use government dollars on dog testing,” said Senator Ernst. “These inhumane practices have no place in our government – much less on the taxpayer’s dime,” Ernst said in a statement.

“Thankfully, after voicing our concerns and shining a light on these heinous tactics, taxpayers can rest easy knowing their hard-earned money is not going towards dog abuse,” she added.

Devin Murphy, the Public Policy and Communications Manager at the White Coat Waste Project, also celebrated the “decisive victory”:

[It] sends a message to big-spending white coats across the federal government: taxpayers should not be forced to pay for wasteful, unnecessary, and cruel animal experiments. After WCW’s #BeagleGate investigation first exposed NIAID’s barbaric beagle experiments, Members of Congress in both parties, and Americans across the political spectrum, were outraged — and rightfully so. Taxpayers and animal lovers in Iowa and across the nation are grateful for Sen. Ernst’s outstanding commitment to government transparency and the responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.