NIH Continues Pouring More Than $225 Million Into New Dog and Cat Experiments Despite Trump Admin Efforts to Shift Toward Modern Alternatives

A White Coat Waste investigation reveals the National Institutes of Health has allocated over $225 million since February 2025 for new and ongoing experiments involving dogs and cats. This spending significantly surpasses the NIH’s investment in alternative testing methods, and occurs while other federal agencies have successfully reduced or banned animal testing. The investigation highlights specific grants to universities for invasive procedures on kittens and puppies, questioning the NIH’s commitment to phasing out animal testing.

• The NIH has awarded, supplemented, renewed, or extended over $225 million in funding for dog and cat experiments since February 2025.
• This spending far exceeds the NIH’s $150 million investment in non-animal testing methods.
• Several other federal agencies, including the Navy, Department of Veterans Affairs, EPA, and FDA, have made significant progress in reducing or banning animal testing under the Trump administration.
• Specific examples of funded experiments include skull drilling on kittens, inducing glaucoma in kittens, and severing cats’ spinal cords.
• White Coat Waste advocates for an immediate halt to new dog and cat grants, a ban on supplements and extensions, and an enforceable deadline with measurable spending cuts.