The Navy’s abrupt end to dog and cat testing under the Trump administration has reignited a broader debate over animal experimentation in U.S. military research.
At a Glance
- The Navy terminated all testing on dogs and cats as of May 30
- PETA called the decision a milestone but urged a full Pentagon ban
- Over $5 million was spent on decompression and oxygen toxicity tests since 2020
- Other agencies like EPA and NIH are also phasing out animal testing
- Advocacy groups demand audits and non-animal alternatives across government labs
Navy Ends Controversial Tests
In a sweeping policy reversal, Navy Secretary John Phelan announced the end of all Navy-funded experiments on dogs and cats. Phelan, speaking via social media, called the program “inhumane” and “wasteful,” and said he was “pleased” to dismantle it.
The move follows years of pressure from animal welfare organizations and lawmakers, who have targeted military research involving painful tests on live animals. Since 2020, more than $5.1 million in taxpayer funds had been funneled into Navy decompression and oxygen toxicity studies, including experiments on baby pigs.
Anthony Bellotti of the White Coat Waste Project, a federal watchdog group, described the situation bluntly: “This is a taxpayer-funded problem.”
Watch a report: Navy ends testing on cats and dogs.
PETA Demands Pentagon-Wide Reform
While praising the Navy’s reversal, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) immediately escalated their campaign. Shalin Gala, PETA Vice President, stressed that “pigs, rats, and other animals feel pain and fear just as dogs and cats do” and called for an end to all military experiments on animals.
PETA submitted a formal letter to the Pentagon requesting a comprehensive audit and a ban on several procedures, including decompression tests and weapons-injury simulations. The organization also opposes the continued funding of animal tests at foreign research facilities under U.S. contracts.
The push comes amid a broader trend under the Trump administration to reduce animal testing across government science programs. In recent years, the EPA began rolling back testing requirements, and the NIH closed its last beagle research lab.
Momentum for Alternatives
Alongside advocacy groups like the White Coat Waste Project, PETA is urging a pivot to modern non-animal research tools. These include human-patient simulators, computational models, and organ-on-a-chip technologies, all of which are increasingly seen as viable substitutes in defense and medical testing.
Public outcry has played a role. A Defense Department project involving electroshock tests on cats—costing $10 million—was recently canceled after facing opposition from Bellotti’s group and public figures like Elon Musk.
As the Navy’s decision sets a precedent, activists are intensifying efforts to ensure it’s not a one-off but the start of a system-wide shift in federal science policy.
