Stop Government Animal Experiments

Dear Representative:

As a {user State} taxpayer and your constituent, I am urging you to cosponsor the bipartisan Violet’s Law (H.R. 1465/S. 707) to make animal retirement and adoption an option in federal government laboratories. 

I was troubled to learn from the White Coat Waste Project (WCW) that over 30,000 dogs, cats, and other regulated animals are experimented on each year in federal government laboratories. Virtually all are killed because agencies do not have policies to let taxpaying families adopt survivors after testing ends. As a result, even healthy animals used in non-invasive experiments are killed and discarded in federal government laboratories. This is wasteful and wrong. 

As a result of WCW’s work with Congress in recent years, the FDA, NIH, VA, and DOD have created lab animal adoption policies. However, agencies like the EPA, CDC, NASA, and others have not. That’s why Violet’s Law is needed! 

Violet’s Law is named after a Coonhound who survived a taxpayer-funded lab. This common sense, bipartisan bill would ensure all federal agencies allow the relocation of retired dogs, cats, primates, and other regulated animals no longer needed in government experimentation to private homes, animal rescues, or reputable sanctuaries. In addition, it holds the government accountable for how it treats animals purchased with the public’s money. 

Retiring lab animals saves tax dollars and is widely supported by Congress, industry, and taxpayers in both parties. Fifteen states (MN, CA, NV, NY, CT, DE, IL, MD, RI, NJ, OR, WA, VI, IA, and MA) have also passed post-research adoption laws. 

Taxpayers pay for government animal experiments. Adoption should be an option. Thank you for your leadership!

Sincerely,