Navy halts dog and cat experiments after PETA writes Hegseth about US taxpayer-funded animal tests

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) penned a missive to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Navy Secretary John Phelan Thursday, thanking the Trump medication for its prohibition connected Navy-funded canine and feline experiments announced this week and requesting a broader prohibition connected each carnal investigating successful each subject branches.

Phelan connected Tuesday terminated each Department of the Navy investigating connected cats and dogs, redeeming payer dollars and ending these inhumane studies.

"This is agelong overdue," Phelan said successful a video posted to X. "In summation to this termination, I'm directing the surgeon wide of the Navy to behaviour a broad reappraisal of each aesculapian probe programs to guarantee they align with ethical guidelines, technological necessity, and our halfway values of integrity and readiness."

PETA connected Thursday further urged the Department of Defense to behaviour a akin comprehensive, agency-wide audit aimed astatine rooting retired waste, fraud and maltreatment successful cruel and outdated carnal experimentation. 

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Specifically, the planetary enactment requested the Department of Defense (DOD) prohibition the usage of animals successful Navy decompression sickness and oxygen toxicity tests and prohibit the usage of dogs, cats, nonhuman primates, marine animals and different animals presently permitted successful Army weapon-wounding tests.

The weapon-wounding tests, which were banned during the Reagan administration, were reintroduced successful 2020 erstwhile the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) issued a argumentation allowing for the acquisition of "dogs, cats, nonhuman primates, oregon marine mammals to inflict wounds upon utilizing a limb for the intent of conducting aesculapian research, development, testing, oregon evaluation."

The Army successful 2023, with encouragement from PETA, chopped $750,000 successful payer backing for a brain-damaging weapon-wounding experimentation connected ferrets astatine Wayne State University successful Michigan.

In 1983, PETA got a U.S. Department of Defense underground "wound lab" unopen down and achieved a imperishable prohibition connected shooting dogs and cats successful subject coiled laboratories. (PETA)

While reviewing different branches, PETA obtained nationalist records showing decompression sickness experiments astatine the Naval Medical Research Command sliced unfastened babe pigs, implanted devices and locked them successful high-pressure chambers for up to 8 days earlier sidesplitting them. 

Researchers are besides accused of administering a cause to a pig and inducing a terrible escalation successful assemblage somesthesia and musculus contractions earlier sidesplitting the animal. Officials said perchance faulty sedatives whitethorn person prolonged the pig’s suffering. 

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In different incident, a rat suffocated to decease aft an instrumentality malfunction, and the researcher failed to study the incidental for 23 days, according to PETA.

The enactment alleged the Navy has wasted much than $5.1 cardinal successful national backing since 2020 for decompression sickness and oxygen toxicity tests connected thousands of animals astatine Duke University, the University of Maryland successful Baltimore, the University of California successful San Diego and the University of South Florida.

In its letters to the Pentagon, PETA specifically calls for officials to behaviour a broad audit aimed astatine rooting retired waste, fraud and maltreatment done cruel and outdated carnal experimentation. (Alexandr Lebedko/Getty Images)

"Pigs, rats and different animals consciousness symptom and fearfulness conscionable arsenic dogs and cats do, and their torment successful gruesome subject experiments indispensable end," PETA Vice President Shalin Gala wrote successful a statement. 

"PETA appreciates the Trump administration’s determination to halt the Navy’s torture tests connected dogs and cats, and we impulse a broader prohibition crossed the Pentagon to extremity the usage of animals successful Navy-funded decompression sickness and oxygen toxicity tests, Army-funded weapon-wounding tests and DOD-funded overseas experiments."

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is seeking a wider subject prohibition connected carnal testing. (iStock)

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PETA besides requested successful the missive that Defense Department officials prohibit backing of tests connected animals astatine overseas institutions.

In 1 experimentation successful Canada, which is receiving $429,347 successful DOD funding, a University of Alberta experimenter is utilizing dogs arsenic "models" of a musculus wasting disease. 

In different ongoing DOD-funded overseas experimentation successful Australia, which is receiving $599,984, a James Cook University researcher is burning 30% of rats’ assemblage aboveground with scalding h2o and into their livers, inflicting an "[u]ncontrolled hemorrhage."

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The Department of Defense, Secretary of the Navy's bureau and Navy Office of Information did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.