In a landmark victory for animal welfare, the U.S. Senate has voted overwhelmingly to defund the Department of Defense’s dog and cat experiments. The measure passed with strong bipartisan support in a 77-20 vote as part of the 2026 defense policy bill, following approval by the House of Representatives. Once signed by President Trump, this will mark the first time such experimentation has been federally defunded.
This historic achievement is largely credited to White Coat Waste (WCW), a watchdog organization that has spent years exposing and campaigning against taxpayer-funded animal testing. Through persistent investigations and congressional lobbying, WCW revealed the extent of cruel experiments being conducted on dogs and cats, often in questionable facilities both domestically and abroad.
The group’s efforts have already yielded significant results. Earlier this year, the DOD credited WCW with canceling a $10 million cat experiment, securing a complete U.S. Navy ban on dog and cat testing, and cutting millions in funding for painful pet experiments worldwide. WCW previously helped shut down the government’s largest cat laboratory and exposed DOD-funded testing on 300 beagles per week in China.
Congressional leaders from both parties praised the reform. Representative Nancy Mace emphasized there is “no justification for subjecting pets to cruel experiments,” while Senator Joni Ernst called the practice “indefensible” and “pointless pseudoscience.” Representative Don Davis noted that such testing methods are outdated and that opposing animal cruelty is a universal value.
This bipartisan victory demonstrates that protecting animals from unnecessary suffering transcends political divisions and marks a significant shift in how taxpayer dollars support scientific research.
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