Fauci’s NIAID reportedly funded research that infected, euthanized dogs
Animal rights groups are outraged at Dr. Anthony Fauci’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases after reports emerged it spent $400,000 on research to infect beagles with disease-causing parasites.
The institute paid the University of Georgia last September to infect a total of 28 beagles, according to documents obtained by White Coat Waste Project (WCW) through FOIA. As part of the research, the dogs were given an experimental treatment and then introduced to biting flies that carry a parasite known to be harmful to humans.
The beagles were reportedly allowed to develop infections for three months before they were then euthanized so their blood could be collected.
News of the study, due to be completed next January, sparked immediate outrage.
PETA’s vice president Kathy Guillermo told Breitbart that the National Institutes of Health’s director Francis Collins, who oversees Fauci, should be fired from her post over her funding of the mistreatment of animals while more advanced and more humane methods for testing exist.
“The deadly experiments on dogs are proof that Fauci’s boss is stuck in the failed science of yesteryear,” Guillermo said.
“He is spending billions of dollars on studies that include infecting and cutting up dogs, frightening monkeys, and addicting mice to cocaine that don’t lead to cures or vaccines while humans die from Alzheimer’s, HIV, cancer, multiple sclerosis, ALS, and other deadly ailments.”
Guillermo also called the study a waste of taxpayer funds.
A spokesman for the University of Georgia told Newsweek the research was for a vaccine, which had been developed at another institution, that would protect against a disease.
They did not elaborate on what disease that potential vaccine would protect against.
Under federal guidelines, a vaccine has to be tested on an animal before it is approved for clinical trials, the spokesperson said.
“According to researchers at the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, beagles are the standard dog model used in this type of research,” the spokesperson said.
“Because this disease currently has no cure, unfortunately, the animals that are part of this trial must be euthanized. We do not take lightly the decision to use such animals in some of our research.
“Nearly every advancement in medicine, medical devices and surgical procedures has depended on research involving animal subjects.”
