Research laboratories across the country have been killing off large populations of animals because of staff shortages and closures relating to COVID-19. At the same time, the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) is allowing laboratories to continue to breed animals despite these mass killings.
I’m calling upon you as my elected member of Congress to intervene by demanding that NIH implement an immediate ban on the breeding of animals for research while COVID-19 closures remain in effect.
As reported by the media, many facilities have already killed large percentages of their animal populations amounting to tens of thousands of animals, mostly mice and rats who are killed through cruel methods like carbon dioxide suffocation and neck-breaking.
OLAW has ignored requests by animal advocacy organizations and the public to temporarily halt breeding despite the mass killings taking place. This waste of taxpayer dollars and complete disregard for sentient animals is appalling and must be stopped.
I respectfully request that Congress compel NIH to ban the breeding of animals used in research during the pandemic.
