Here’s a roundup of last week’s biggest news stories related to animal research — all the recent media coverage you need to know right now to be the most effective activist for animals in labs.
House Considers “Transgender Lab Rats and Poisoned Puppies”
Rise for Animals, 2/11/2025
On February 6, 2025, the House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation hosted a hearing on “wasteful and cruel research conducted on animals and paid for by taxpayers”. Among the examples cited were: monkeys, mice, and rats subjected to genital mutilation; puppies injected with cocaine; and dead turtles put on treadmills. 📰 Full Story →
UPDATE: Georgia DA files new motion in monkey facility battle
Staff, WRDW – TV News 12, 2/6/2025
“ . . . Decatur County District Attorney Joe Mulholland filed a new motion with the Superior Court to intervene in a civil lawsuit several neighbors filed last year. This comes after he filed another motion to intervene in December regarding the company’s breach of contract lawsuit against county officials.”
“Several lawsuits and appeals filed by neighbors within the past year have put the project at a standstill, but after the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that the project could move forward back in November of 2024, the company Safer Human Medicine (SHM) vowed to build the facility.”
“‘It may get more dramatic. We intend to do whatever it takes to get their attention,’ [said a Bainbridge resident]. ‘Screaming monkeys… What’s going to happen to them and who’s going to protect them? We need everybody to take a stand.’” 📰 Full Story →
Hey DOGE: Lawmakers target $2 billion sent overseas to ‘torture animals’
Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner, 2/6/2025
“A bipartisan House duo today planned to introduce a bill to stop the U.S. [NIH] from dumping billions more of taxpayer dollars into overseas animal testing where critics claim the critters are tortured and maimed. The ‘CARGO Act’ would require that no NIH money be spent on overseas animal testing in large part because the U.S. has little oversight over what occurs in those labs.”
“In introducing the ‘Cease Animal Research Grants Overseas’, Reps. Troy E. Nehls (R-TX) and Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), cited PETA reports of NIH funding of a $504,000 test in Australia to infect animals with parasites and a $442,000 experiment in Canada to cut rabbit vocal cords to insert a spatula and then test for inflammation and scarring.”
“‘American’s hard-earned taxpayer money should not be used to fund cruel experiments on animals overseas that do not contribute to advancing public health in our country,’ said Nehls. ‘The fact that the NIH doled out over $2 billion in taxpayer money to foreign laboratories is unacceptable. I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation to ensure that hard-earned tax dollars are not wasted or used to torture animals,’ he added.” 📰 Full Story →
Animal Partisan seeks criminal charges against former Virginia Tech researchers over neglect of two bats
Animal Partisan, 2/10/2025
“Animal Partisan has lodged a complaint with the Montgomery County, Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney requesting that two counts of cruelty to animals be filed against a former animal researcher at Virginia Tech.”
“The complaint stems from a March 28, 2024, incident in which the Virginia Tech researcher received a shipment over [sic] 100 fruit bats from Colorado . . . According to records obtained by Animal Partisan, upon receipt of the shipment of bats, the researcher identified that one bat had died in transport and two other bats were ‘very weak and lethargic.’ Although Virginia Tech’s own protocol tasked the researcher with summoning emergency veterinary assistance, he disregarded the protocol and instead attempted to provide the ailing animals with food and water. After suffering without veterinary assistance for 12 hours, the two bats ultimately died.” 📰 Full Story →
USDA does not assign ‘critical violation’ to Alpha Genesis after third monkey escape in past decade
Marilyn W. Thompson & Mitchell Black, The Post and Courier, 2/12/2025
“Regulators at the [NIH]’s Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare closed their investigation into the gigantic Yemassee monkeys farm after finding that the company took steps to correct and reduce ‘the likelihood of recurrence of this problem.’ But communications exchanged between the agency and a manager at Alpha Genesis leave questions about the diligence of their reviews.”
“The documents show that inspectors with the [USDA] concluded that all security and animal care issues had been corrected by Alpha Genesis even before the company on Jan. 24 shared that the final three escapees had been recaptured. USDA inspectors found that the escape did not constitute ‘a critical violation.’ . . . The agency’s finding three weeks after the incident paved the way for other regulators at NIH to clear the company in late January.”
“Alpha Genesis, USDA and OLAW did not respond to The Post and Courier’s requests for comments.” 📰 Full Story →
Macaque Monkeys Demonstrate Remarkable Skill in Linking Images to Sounds and Words, Even When Spoken by Different Voices
ScienMag, 2/12/2025
“Macaque monkeys have demonstrated remarkable cognitive abilities that mimic aspects of human learning and sensory processing. Recent findings highlight their capacity to form associations between auditory stimuli–such as sounds and spoken words–and corresponding visual images displayed on a touchscreen interface.”
“The implications of these findings . . . suggest that monkeys possess advanced mental capabilities that allow them to navigate and make sense of their environment through learned associations. These abilities challenge traditional views of animal intelligence….”
“ . . . this [] research illuminates the cognitive sophistication of macaque monkeys” and “serves as a reminder of the complexities of the animal mind and the rich tapestry of life experiences that encompass it. As we continue to probe the depths of cognition in non-human species, we may find that the barriers we perceive between human and animal intelligence are not as distinct as once thought. In conclusion, this [] research underscores the interconnections among living beings and reaffirms the idea that intelligence can take many forms.” 📰 Full Story →
Domestic violence study that strangled rats should not have been approved, animal advocates argue
Petra Stock, The Guardian, 2/13/2025
“Animal welfare experts and advocates have questioned whether an Australian-led study that non-fatally strangled rats as part of research into the impact of intimate partner violence in humans should have been approved. They argue that, despite gaining necessary ethical approvals, the study’s use of animals lacked justification given the potentially severe impacts on the animals, the limited translatability of the science and the availability of alternative, non-animal methods, and are calling for it not to be repeated.”
“In recently published research, dozens of adolescent female rats were non-fatally strangled for 90 seconds using a silicon band weighed down by 680g, applying a force about three times the rat’s body weight. Other rats in the study were given a traumatic brain injury, inflicted by a 50mg weight propelled using pneumatic force into the rat’s head. Some rats received both injuries . . . Some rats required resuscitation after their injuries….” 📰 Full Story →
Victory! University of Bristol Bans Cruel Forced Swim Tests on Mice & Rats
World Animal News, 2/13/2025
In a major victory for the welfare of animals, the University of Bristol has officially announced that it will no longer conduct controversial forced swim tests [FST] on rats and mice . . . The forced swim test is a widely criticized experiment where rats and mice are placed in inescapable containers of water and observed. The animals are forced to swim in an attempt to avoid drowning, with researchers recording how long they continue to struggle before ‘giving up’ and floating.”
“PETA’s campaign to end the forced swim test at the University of Bristol began nearly five years ago and gained significant momentum. The organization held protests both on campus and around the city, drawing attention to the cruelty of the experiment. Activists also organized petitions and rallies, gathering over 100,000 protest letters from supporters worldwide . . . ‘This is proof that when we stand together and speak out against cruelty, we can bring about real change,’ said a PETA spokesperson.” 📰 Full Story →
Let’s Help Rep. Mace Hold Animal Researchers Accountable!
Rise for Animals, 2/12/2025
The only federal law that provides (minimal) protections to any animals exploited in research applies to less than 1% of the industry’s victims. This means that 99% of all animals exploited by the animal research industry are not even considered “animals” under federal law, and are not even counted by the humans torturing and killing them. Representative Nancy Mace wants to change that. 📰 Full Story →