EXCLUSIVE: NIH Closes On-Site Beagle Lab in U.S., Continues Taxpayer-Funded Animal Testing in China Under Trump

One week after investigative journalist Laura Loomer and watchdog group White Coat Waste (WCW) exposed that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) continued to fund painful experiments on beagles—even under the Trump administration—NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya announced on Fox News that the agency had shut down its Maryland-based beagle lab.

The decision followed a public post by Elon Musk, who reacted to WCW’s findings and promised that DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) would investigate.

Beagle Lab Closure Follows Grassroots Pressure

WCW’s nearly decade-long campaign—including FOIA lawsuits, lobbying, and public exposure—led to the shutdown of the beagle lab, which had been active for over 40 years. More than 2,100 dogs were killed at the facility.

Yet internal NIH documents obtained through FOIA show the program had been approved to continue through August 2026. An NIH official defended the dog testing in an email to a Congressional office just two weeks before the closure announcement, indicating the program was under review for renewal.

An internal email uncovered by Loomer and WCW shows that just two weeks prior to Bhattacharya’s announcement, an NIH official had defended the program to a Congressional office and confirmed it was still under review for renewal.

Animal Testing Persists Abroad Under Trump Administration

While NIH ended dog testing at its headquarters, taxpayer-funded animal testing programs continue globally, including in China. NIH and the Department of Defense (DoD) have sustained contracts with foreign labs despite growing scrutiny.

Musk reiterated DOGE’s commitment to act, posting on X:

U.S. Agencies Still Fund Major Animal Testing Programs

WCW has identified billions of taxpayer dollars flowing into animal experiments through NIH, DoD, and other federal agencies. Ongoing experiments include:

• Beagle puppies infested with ticks at the University of Missouri ($3 million grant)
• COVID infection studies on cats
• Cocaine exposure tests on puppies ($5 million, flagged by Sen. Rand Paul)
• Weight-loss drug testing on beagles by Syntis Bio ($322,000)
• Primate breeding and extraction from “Monkey Island” in South Carolina ($4.1 million annually)

NIH-Funded Weight-Loss Drug Tests on Beagles

The NIH awarded $322,000 to Syntis Bio, a startup co-founded by Moderna billionaire Robert Langer, to test a weight-loss drug on beagles.

The studies involve force-feeding dogs to simulate the effects of gastric bypass surgery. Critics argue the science is outdated, and results in dogs rarely translate to humans. The use of public funds, despite Langer’s wealth and access to private investment, has drawn backlash. “It’s animal cruelty funded by taxpayers for corporate benefit,” said one WCW spokesperson.

“Monkey Island”: Primate Pipeline Exposed

WCW also uncovered the NIH’s $4.1 million annual contract for a primate breeding colony off the coast of South Carolina—known as “Monkey Island”.

The island, located in Rep. Nancy Mace’s district, houses over 3,300 rhesus macaques. Each year, NIH transfers about 500 monkeys to federal labs for invasive virus research. These monkeys are caged, operated on, and infected with untreatable diseases.

Mace, who has worked with WCW to shut the facility down, calls it an “outdated and cruel relic” of wasteful spending.

Below is footage obtained by WCW from one of the NIH labs that receives monkeys from the island, showing disturbing treatment and conditions inside these federally funded facilities:

Fauci’s Projects and Personnel Still Funded

Despite Dr. Anthony Fauci’s departure, his programs continue to receive NIH funding. Bhattacharya recently appointed one of Fauci’s gain-of-function collaborators to lead his former division.

Meanwhile, NIH and DoD are still funding a Chinese lab that reportedly tests drugs on 300 beagles per week. That contract, initiated under the Biden administration, remains active through May 2025. Although Trump previously canceled some Chinese research grants, 20 labs in China remain NIH-eligible.

The NIH also recently renewed $5 million cocaine experiments on puppies that were uncovered by WCW and Senator Rand Paul.

WCW Demands Broader Reform

Despite shutting down the in-house dog lab, Dr. Bhattacharya has not committed to eliminating animal testing altogether. Instead, he released a vague statement promising NIH will merely “aim to reduce” animal use.

WCW is urging the Trump administration to defund all of Fauci’s remaining animal labs, including those at home and abroad, and fully dismantle his former NIH division.

Reform or Rebrand? NIH’s Animal Testing Isn’t Over Yet.

Though Dr. Bhattacharya halted the dog lab at NIH’s headquarters, his overall stance appears noncommittal. Rather than announcing broad cuts to animal testing—as seen under President Trump’s earlier directives—he has merely stated that NIH will “aim to reduce the use of animals in research.”

The closure of NIH’s Maryland beagle lab represents a win—but only if it’s the start of a larger shift. As of now, NIH continues to fund animal experiments involving dogs, cats, monkeys, and more—often overseas, with little oversight.

Public pressure, bipartisan action, and leadership from DOGE may be the last hope for permanent reform.

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