Navy Halts Inhumane Medical Testing on Dogs and Cats, Marking Major Policy Shift

Secretary John Phelan says the move, which saves millions of dollars and ends cruel studies, is long overdue.

Via X
Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan, announced, "It gives me great pleasure to terminate all Department of the Navy's testing on cats and dogs." Via X

The United States Navy is finally putting an end to its long-time practice of animal testing.

The secretary of the Navy, John Phelan, announced this week that the service branch of the Armed Forces would immediately cease medical research testing on cats and dogs.

“Today it gives me great pleasure to terminate all Department of the Navy’s testing on cats and dogs, saving taxpayer dollars and ending these inhumane studies,” Mr. Phelan said in a video posted to X. “This is long overdue.”

In a memorandum obtained by The New York Sun, Mr. Phelan says the decision follows President Trump’s commitment to “phasing out animal testing,” citing a $15 million contract for electroshock therapy on cats funded by the Navy that the Department of Defense recently terminated. The experiments were conducted for studies on incontinence and erectile dysfunction.

“This decisive action saved more than $4 million, supported the President’s priority to reduce animal testing, and aligned with the Secretary of Defense’s goals of cutting wasteful spending and restoring accountability,” Mr. Phelan wrote in the memorandum. “Similarly, the Department of the Navy must ensure no further testing on cats or dogs occurs, upholding ethical standards and fiscal accountability.”

Mr. Phelan also announced in the memorandum that the surgeon general will oversee the “immediate cessation” of all medical research testing and conduct a comprehensive review “to verify alignment with ethical guidelines, scientific necessity, and our core values of integrity and readiness.”

A conservative commentator and Trump whisperer, Laura Loomer, took to X to take credit for the recent moves made by the DoD and Navy after she reported on an investigation by an animal rights group, White Coat Waste Project, and said the secretary’s office contacted her.

“They informed me that my interview and exclusive reporting on @LoomerUnleashed about the incredible investigation carried out by White Coat Waste Project @WhiteCoatWaste and their FOIA’s into taxpayer funded animal testing (which went viral) is what caused them to end all of the Navy’s testing on cats and dogs,” she wrote.

Earlier this month, the White House shut down the National Institutes of Health’s in-house beagle laboratory in which thousands of dogs were subjected to septic shock experiments.


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use