The National Institutes of Health spent $1.2 million buying Beagle puppies for experimentation from a Virginia-based puppy breeding mill currently under federal investigation for animal cruelty.
A new report from PETA detailed allegations of cruel and inhumane behavior at a breeding mill owned by Envigo, an Indianapolis-based breeding mill that raises animals for sale to pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Envigo also produces puppies for research universities, including Temple University, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina State University.
The PETA report details how beagle puppies were kept in massive sheds housing hundreds of dogs at a time. The sheds were reportedly so loud that they caused hearing injuries for the housed animals. The density of the sheds also caused fights to break out between the dogs, which injured each other in captivity.
The report alleges that over the course of the investigation, investigators found that more than 350 puppies die, often from being crushed by their mothers, being eviscerated in fights, accidentally falling into the drains of their cages, by disease, or by exposure. Some puppies were allegedly euthanized by injecting solution into their hearts while they were still conscious.
Investigators found that the dogs were routinely sprayed with high-pressure hoses, and the damp environment caused food to rot. Staffers, many of whom did not have veterinary training, were reportedly tasked with performing surgical operations on the dogs, often without pain relief.
The PETA report is accompanied by video containing graphic footage of a staff member inserting a hypodermic needle into the swollen head of a puppy in an attempt to alleviate the swelling. The video also shows staff members spraying down the dogs with a high-pressure hose as they yelp in pain, and contains multiple images of puppies lying dead in cages.
The video’s kicker shows breeding mill supervisors allegedly complaining about federal regulations and refusing to comply with them.
On Sunday, the Washington Post reported that Envigo was under federal investigation by the US Department of Agriculture over the summer. In the federal investigation, the USDA found dozens of animal welfare violations, conforming the details reported in the PETA investigation.
USDA investigators found that the dogs were kept in cages above 85 degrees Fahrenheit for several hours a day without air conditioning, and multiple nursing female dogs refused food for up to 42 hours.
Despite the findings of the investigation, the USDA did not impose any fines or penalties to the facility, the Washington Post reported, noting that the NIH contracted the company to buy beagles for research more than a dozen times, totaling $1.2 million.
Asked for comment, the NIH confirmed the purchases, but noted that “no future purchases are planned.”
In October, documents obtained by the White Coat Waste Project found that Dr. Anthony Fauci’s National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases authorized $1.68 million in taxpayer funds to experiment on beagles.
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