February 23, 2018

Today Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada’s First Congressional District applauded AMVETS, which represents 250,000 veterans nationwide, for joining the growing number of veterans’ groups supporting her bipartisan work to stop the Department of Veterans Affairs from spending taxpayers’ money on unnecessary and cruel experiments on dogs.

In aAMVETS Letter on Canine Research final[1].pdf sent to Rep. Titus and other lawmakers this morning, AMVETS Executive Director Joseph Chenelly writes: “[W]e are pleased to support your efforts to phase out taxpayer funding for antiquated canine research at the Department of Veterans Affairs….[T]he VA can make better use of its limited research funding by phasing out the unproductive dog testing that AMVETS members oppose and has left wounded and disabled veterans with fading hope by failing to produce significant breakthroughs over the last few decades.”

“Our nation’s veterans deserve better than having the VA spend taxpayers’ money on cruel and ineffective experiments on dogs while other important programs for veterans are being neglected,” said Rep. Titus. “I’m honored that AMVETS is lending its expertise and support to my bipartisan work to modernize the VA’s research and stop the agency from wasting funds on cruel and needless dog testing.”

Veterans’ organizations supporting Rep. Titus’s effort now include American GI Forum, American Military Retirees Association, AMVETS, DisabledVeterans.org, Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the U.S., Military-Veterans Advocacy, Jewish War Veterans of the USA, The Retired Enlisted Association, United States Army Warrant Officers Association, Veterans for Common Sense, Veterans for Peace, VetsFirst and Wounded Paw Project.

Congresswoman Titus and Congressman Dave Brat (R-VA) have introduced the bipartisan PUPPERS Act (HR 3197)—which is co-sponsored by numerous veterans in Congress—that aims to end the two most painful categories of dog experiments at the VA, including experiments in which pain relief is withheld for dogs. The bill allows non-painful canine research and any research related to service and working dogs. In July, the House unanimously passed a bipartisan amendment cosponsored by Congresswoman Titus to cut funding for the VA’s painful dog experiments in FY18.