A recent investigation has revealed that taxpayer dollars are still being used to fund painful experiments on cats and dogs in U.S. laboratories. According to newly obtained records, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is currently funding experiments at the University of Missouri-Columbia that involve inflicting spinal cord injuries on cats, performing invasive skull surgeries, and subjecting them to repeated procedures before they are ultimately killed.

The records also indicate that cats acquired from a public animal shelter — animals who may once have been family pets — were used as blood donors in laboratory settings. Instead of being given a second chance at adoption, these vulnerable animals were reportedly confined for extended periods and subjected to repeated blood draws. In a separate NIH-funded project, cats were intentionally bred to develop polycystic kidney disease, a painful and progressive condition.

Many taxpayers do not want their hard-earned money funding experiments that cause suffering to cats and dogs, especially when modern, humane alternatives to animal testing are increasingly available. In 2026, Congress passed a bipartisan amendment cutting Department of Defense funding for painful dog and cat experiments, demonstrating that lawmakers can come together to act when the public demands change.

Now, Congress has the opportunity to take the next step.

The Preventing Animal Abuse and Waste (PAAW) Act would help stop the NIH from funding cruel experiments on dogs and cats in the United States. It would close loopholes that allow lost or surrendered pets to end up in laboratories and ensure greater accountability for how taxpayer dollars are spent.

We call on members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to pass the PAAW Act and send it to the President’s desk without delay. 

Our voices together can help end this practice. Pass the PAAW Act now.