On May 28, 2025, the U.S. Navy announced a complete ban on all dog and cat testing, marking a significant victory for the White Coat Waste Project (WCW) and its supporters. This decision followed years of WCW investigations, advocacy, and public pressure aimed at ending taxpayer-funded animal experiments within the Department of Defense (DOD).(whitecoatwaste.org)
The Navy’s decision came just ten days after the Pentagon canceled a $10 million Navy-funded experiment that involved electroshocking and crippling cats in studies related to constipation, incontinence, and erectile dysfunction. WCW’s exposé of these experiments, conducted in both U.S. and Chinese laboratories, revealed the inhumane treatment of animals and the misuse of taxpayer dollars.
Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan publicly acknowledged WCW’s role in prompting the policy change, stating, “Today it gives me great pleasure to terminate all Department of the Navy’s testing on cats and dogs, ending these inhumane practices and saving taxpayer dollars. This is long overdue.”
The campaign to end dog and cat testing garnered bipartisan support from lawmakers, military veterans, and public figures, including Elon Musk and Laura Loomer. WCW’s efforts included filing lawsuits against the DOD, exposing wasteful spending through media coverage, and rallying grassroots supporters to demand action.
This ban represents a broader shift in federal policy, as WCW has successfully advocated for the elimination of similar experiments in other agencies. In early May 2025, WCW announced the closure of the National Institutes of Health’s last in-house dog lab, following a nine-year campaign. Additionally, Congress has voted to defund the DOD’s dog and cat experiments, marking the first time such a prohibition has been enacted.
WCW’s mission to expose and end wasteful government spending on animal testing continues, with ongoing efforts to eliminate such practices across various federal agencies. The Navy’s decision to ban dog and cat testing is a significant milestone in this ongoing campaign to protect animals and ensure responsible use of taxpayer funds.
More: White Coat Waste Project
Statement from Anthony Bellotti, President and Founder, White Coat Waste
“We’re thrilled that 10 days after the Trump DOD canceled cruel cat tests exposed by White Coat Waste, the U.S. Navy is now cutting all wasteful experiments on dogs and cats following our investigations and campaign.Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pay for pet abuse in Navy-funded labs, and now, thanks to a White Coat Waste campaign, including powerful advocacy from Elon Musk, Laura Loomer, Rep. Nancy Mace, military veterans, and others, they won’t have to.
We applaud Secretary Phelan, Secretary Hegseth, and President Trump for first slashing the US government’s largest dog lab and now sending the Pentagon’s cat and dog abuse to the litterbox of history. Defunding dog and cat labs has been our top priority for Trump 47.
The solution is simple: Stop the money. Stop the madness!”
