Legislation to Halt Dog Breeding for Research Introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-NC) is set to introduce new legislation aimed at preventing companies from breeding and selling dogs for experimental purposes, as revealed by Breitbart News.

Mace, who has previously advocated for animals rescued from government-funded experiments, is presenting the Prohibiting Unethical Procedures on Pets in Science (PUPPS) Act. This bill is targeted at organizations like Oak Hill Genetics, seeking to put an end to the practice of breeding dogs for research.

According to the legislation, it would be illegal for anyone involved in commerce to: (1) breed a dog for research purposes; (2) commercially distribute a dog for research; (3) acquire, receive, or utilize a dog known to have been bred for research; or (4) attempt to carry out any of the aforementioned actions.

The bill states that the Secretary of the relevant department cannot issue or renew licenses for activities deemed illegal under this act. Violators would face a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for each affected dog.

For repeat offenders, the penalties could increase to $40,000 per violation. However, it specifies that continuing violations related to the same dog will be treated as a single offense, and the total fines for violations stemming from a single investigation cannot exceed $500,000.

Additionally, if someone holds a research dog, they would be prohibited from euthanizing it and would instead need to offer it for adoption to individuals or animal rescue groups.

“Dogs aren’t lab equipment. They’re family,” Mace stated, emphasizing the inhumanity of breeding dogs for painful research. “It’s cruel science, not real science.”

Mace reflected on her previous efforts, mentioning the fight against taxpayer-funded experiments on dogs and her commitment to ensuring that animals are moved from labs to loving homes. She expressed gratitude towards White Coat Waste for partnering in this initiative. “This bill ends the breeding of dogs for research, cutting off the supply to those labs and giving dogs a chance at adoption instead of euthanasia. Man’s best friend deserves a loving home, not a cage,” she said.

The introduction of this bill follows a report from the White Coat Waste Project, which uncovered that Oak Hill Genetics had sent over 1,500 dogs to various labs across the country within an 18-month span—some of which were still receiving funding from the National Institutes of Health. The experiments conducted on these dogs included severe procedures like nerve severance and inducing heart failure.

Anthony Bellotti, the Founder of White Coat Waste, expressed support for Mace’s legislation, linking it to the broader efforts against taxpayer-funded animal testing. He shared his personal connection to the cause, mentioning his own adoptions of pets rescued from such labs. “The solution is simple: Stop the funding. Stop the cruelty!” he urged.

Last year, Mace also reintroduced Violet’s Law, which mandates federal laboratories to allow animals to be retired and adopted out once testing concludes.