PETA: NIH allegedly spent $1.2 million to buy beagles for animal experiments

PETA’s Daphna Nachminovitch accused the NIH of a $1.2 million deal to buy beagles for cruel research.

During an interview on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Nachminovitch says the National Institutes of Health was accused of having a $1.2 million contract over the last decade to buy beagles to be used in cruel experiments.

The latest accusation comes from Virginia-based Envigo, which allegedly supplied nearly 5,000 beagle dogs and puppies to NIH and other facilities to be confined and tortured.

The report alleges that over the course of the investigation, investigators found that more than 350 puppies die, often from being crushed by their mothers, being eviscerated in fights, accidentally falling into the drains of their cages, by disease, or by exposure. Some puppies were allegedly euthanized by injecting solution into their hearts while they were still conscious.

The PETA report is accompanied by video containing graphic footage of a staff member inserting a hypodermic needle into the swollen head of a puppy in an attempt to alleviate the swelling. The video also shows staff members spraying down the dogs with a high-pressure hose as they yelp in pain, and contains multiple images of puppies lying dead in cages.

The video’s kicker shows breeding mill supervisors allegedly complaining about federal regulations and refusing to comply with them.

On Sunday, the Washington Post reported that Envigo was under federal investigation by the US Department of Agriculture over the summer. In the federal investigation, the USDA found dozens of animal welfare violations, conforming the details reported in the PETA investigation.

USDA investigators found that the dogs were kept in cages above 85 degrees Fahrenheit for several hours a day without air conditioning, and multiple nursing female dogs refused food for up to 42 hours.

The USDA did not impose any fines or penalties to the facility, the Washington Post reported, noting that the NIH contracted the company to buy beagles for research more than a dozen times, totaling $1.2 million. Asked for comment, the NIH confirmed the purchases, but noted that “no future purchases are planned.”