Killing Pets – Federal Labs EXPOSED!

Federal labs are killing perfectly healthy dogs, cats, and primates after research experiments end—and your tax dollars are funding the whole barbaric operation.

At a Glance

  • Rep. Nancy Mace has reintroduced Violet’s Law to stop the euthanasia of healthy animals from federal research labs
  • Over 40,000 regulated animals are used in federal labs annually, with many routinely euthanized despite being adoptable
  • The bipartisan bill has previously garnered 116 cosponsors in the House and 19 in the Senate
  • Public polling shows overwhelming support across party lines for retiring lab animals instead of killing them
  • The Biden administration has been notably less supportive of lab animal retirement than the previous administration

Government Labs Killing Perfectly Adoptable Animals

In a rare moment of sanity in Washington, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) is leading a bipartisan charge to end one of the government’s most egregious practices: the routine euthanasia of healthy animals after they’ve served their time in taxpayer-funded research labs.

These aren’t sick or dying animals – they’re perfectly healthy cats, dogs, and primates that could be adopted into loving homes. Instead, they’re being dispatched with a lethal injection after spending their lives being experimented on by government scientists. If that doesn’t strike you as a complete moral failure, I’m not sure what would.

Mace’s bill, aptly named “Violet’s Law” after a beagle rescued from one such lab, would mandate that federal research facilities establish adoption programs for retired lab animals rather than automatically euthanizing them.

 It’s the kind of legislation that makes you wonder why it’s necessary in the first place. Are we really so callous that we need a law to tell government agencies not to kill perfectly adoptable animals? Apparently, in the twisted bureaucratic hellscape of federal research, that’s exactly where we are.

Bipartisan Support Suggests Common Sense Isn’t Dead Yet

In an era when Congress can’t agree on the time of day, Violet’s Law has attracted an impressive coalition of supporters from both sides of the aisle. Last year, the bill racked up 116 bipartisan cosponsors in the House and 19 in the Senate before stalling out. This time around, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Gary Peters (D-MI) are championing the companion bill in the Senate. It seems that not needlessly killing animals is one of the few things Democrats and Republicans can still agree on. Who would have thought?

“It’s cruel and unnecessary to euthanize dogs, cats, and other animals in federal research labs which are healthy enough to be adopted and live happy lives.”, said Rep. Mace. 

Public polling shows this issue isn’t just for animal rights activists – a strong majority of Americans across the political spectrum support retiring lab animals instead of euthanizing them. It’s one of those rare issues where the public is overwhelmingly unified. And why wouldn’t they be?

These animals are literally purchased with your tax dollars. After they’ve served their purpose in furthering medical research, the least the government could do is give them a chance at a normal life rather than dispatching them like they’re nothing more than used equipment.

Biden Administration Dragging Its Feet

While agencies like the NIH, FDA, VA, and Department of Defense have recently adopted retirement policies for lab animals, progress has been painfully slow under the current administration. According to the White Coat Waste Project, the Trump administration was significantly more supportive of reducing wasteful animal testing and securing the rescue of lab animals.

Meanwhile, under Biden, we’re still killing perfectly healthy animals that could be adopted. It’s yet another example of this administration’s backwards priorities and wasteful approach to governance.

“As the nation’s largest and most successful sanctuary for research animals — having successfully placed thousands of cats, dogs, and other animals into loving homes — we applaud Rep. Mace for introducing Violet’s Law to make lab animal retirement a standard policy in all government labs.”, said John Ramer. 

Particularly galling is the fact that we’re talking about the same federal apparatus that had no problem funding Dr. Anthony Fauci’s controversial animal testing and gain-of-function research in Wuhan. The White Coat Waste Project, which rescued the bill’s namesake Violet, has been instrumental in exposing these connections and advocating for more humane policies. They’ve already helped end beagle testing at NIH labs, proving that positive change is possible when these agencies are held accountable.

A Common Sense Solution Everyone Should Support

The beauty of Violet’s Law is its simplicity: don’t kill animals that could be adopted. It’s not asking to end all animal research or defund federal labs – it’s simply requiring these agencies to work with animal rescue organizations to find homes for animals when their research days are over. The Kindness Ranch Animal Sanctuary in Wyoming has successfully rehomed thousands of former research animals, demonstrating that these animals can indeed transition to normal, happy lives with proper care and patience.

“Violet’s Law is a commonsense solution to ensure these animals are rehomed when they’re no longer needed for taxpayer funded research.”, said Rep. Nancy Mace. 

In a government that routinely wastes billions on failed programs, foreign aid to countries that hate us, and bureaucratic bloat, saving these animals represents a rare opportunity for moral clarity. These creatures have already sacrificed enough in the name of scientific progress. The least we can do is offer them the chance at a peaceful retirement rather than a cold, clinical death after their usefulness to the state has ended. If we can’t even get this right, what does that say about us as a society?

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