VA Secretary: “I am not a strong believer in the need for canine research”

Posted by Justin Goodman
28 February 2018 | Blog, POW


Once a strong defender of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ “maximum pain” experiments on puppies, ABC Richmond reports VA Secretary David Shulkin has now done a much-welcome about-face on the issue.

In an interview with The Daily Caller–in response to a question prompted by Roger Stone’s recent op-ed on the topic–Shulkin stated, “I am not a strong believer in the need for canine research.” The Secretary went on to say he is implementing restrictions on the practice, though details on those steps are unclear at the moment. Watch the clip here (starting at 11:45):


Shulkin previously defended the VA’s taxpayer-funded dog experiments, but according to a report at DisabledVeterans.org, embattled VA communications staffers allegedly penned the op-ed and it did not reflect the Secretary’s position.

Secretary Shulkin’s change of heart follows growing criticism of the VA’s wasteful and cruel dog testing from influential veterans’ organizations, veterans, lawmakers, and taxpayers. DisabledVeterans.org commented, “This reversal is no doubt the result of joint efforts opposing fraud, waste, and abuse of agency researchers.”

Help us build the momentum! Take a moment to write your Congress members and urge them to support the bipartisan PUPPERS Act to cut federal funding for the VA’s “maximum pain” dog experiments.

Blog Comments

This gratuitous Animal Torture Industrial Complex has got to stop and you legislative leaders need to grow some damn balls and stop funding this evil cronyism scheme with taxpayer’s money. Make it stop.

Please stop these horrible tests.

*NO TO Cruel Animal Testing*
YES to More Service Dogs to Help Veterans with PTSD or Loneliness

Stop canine research immediately.

Please stop all canine testing at the Dept of VA.

I am NOT IN FAVOR of Cannine Testing.

Please stop animal testing.

Why are you still going to allow ANY dog torture? Come off it, period.

I fully support an end to cruel testing on puppies or any other helpless animals.

What’s wrong with you people. There has to be something very evil in your heart to sit and watch these beautiful dogs scream out in pain. Most of them probably so happy to see you when you came to there cage to get them thinking your coming to pet them or play with them. How can you look into those little faces and cut there chest open or look into those trusting eyes and watch them turn wild with fear as you inject chemicals into there heart that gives them a heart attack. You are all monsters and full of evil. Never will I understand this. I look at my own dog. I could never hurt him. I walk up to him and he’s so happy, jumping, tail wags, kisses. It would take a real ass hole to pick up a dog doing that and then kill him. Im sure thats how those little dogs greet you. They dont know your evil. LEAVE THEM ALONE…

I really thought this was a done deal and they stop this kind of treatment to the dogs. If not, stop and stop it now you filthy animal murders.

This is horrible!

I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY ANIMALS(innocent) SHALL BE USED FOR ANY AND ALL EXPLORATORY EXPERIMENTS FOR HUMAN BENEFIT SHALL EVER CONDUCTED, WE HAVE MORE THAN WILLING INMATES THAT ARE GOOD TO GO “SUBJECTS”….NOT THAT ITS EVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.

Please support the bipartisan PUPPERS Act to cut federal funding for the VA’s “maximum pain” dog experiments. This is sick science, and it has no place in modern Human Society – which actually places value on life… Moreover, as far as we know, we could have just as easily been those dogs in the VA Hospital as the people we are today (since people are also animals-… even if we don’t like to admit that to ourselves – or even think about that that much, anymore…), and if life happened to us once, it could just as easily happen to us again (especially considering how many species exist on Earth, and how many more billions of life have existed since the beginning of time) – only, not necessarily as members of the dominant species on the planet, anymore… For these reasons, we should take this opportunity that we have today as people – the dominant animal species on the planet… – to not be lax or lazy about others’ suffering – but to take this life of ours as a great opportunity to improve the situations of others that we made so bad for them in the first place – while we’re still the ones in charge (today) – so that these awful situations that life are currently brought into won’t be around anymore tomorrow, or ever again – for any more lives to ever be born into those “pits of misery” ever again – especially if we have the ability to so easily do so for them… Thank you for your compassion for animals, and for your consideration in supporting the PUPPERS Act. Every dog should be free from harm, because every animal should be free. You only need to look at your own life and how much you value it, to realize that every other animal values theirs just as much as you, and they deserves to live their lives free from suffering – especially human suffering – when we can so easily do that for them today.

Painful experiments on animals is Never OK. Especially not paid for with my money.

The horrid, wasteful and cruel so called experiments using innocent dogs must stop now! There are much more valid compter bases, stem cell based and human volunteer based methods of researchnow. God Bless these poor dogs and rehome them immediately I pray.

Enough with the animal testing. There is no need nor has there ever been!!!!

This is a great way to save money and animals.

Stop this! Totally unnecessary.

As the owner of three wonderful dogs, I am revolted by any practice that uses dogs or puppies
for experimental purposes, especially if they are painful to the canine. How cruel that is! Dogs
are sentient beings, like ourselves, and they feel pain as we do. Yet they are not in control of
their situations, so cannot escape the pain when it is caused by humans. I strongly urge you to
oppose such practices in the VA or anywhere else. Thank you.

Please put an end to these cruel experiments! There are other alternatives that don’t involve animal suffering!

Stop

Only the most evil, twisted minds could do these things! This should be stopped in its tracks by tens, hundreds of thousands of right-minded citizens descending upon these torture chambers, rescuing the surviving victims, humanely euthanizing those too far gone, & hopefully, SOMEHOW, exercising restraint when it came to dealing w/the evil monsters who’ve committed these heinous crimes! HEY! YOU, EVIL PEOPLE in “medicine” who perform these atrocities, & YOU, in “government,” who have allowed, & continue to allow this, may your karmic debt for your crimes be TENFOLD!!! And may you reap it SOON!

Im in!

Animal experiments are not advancing human medicine. How does a person go to work everyday to inflict suffering upon puppies? How? How do you do that? I don’t understand it. You people are no different then the people that torture dogs & cats claiming it makes the meat taste sweeter while slaughtering them in a horrific manner in front of other terrified animals awaiting the same cruel fate. Disgusting. Stop the animal experiments. All of them.

[…] a point of contention. Before Trump fired him in March, Shulkin told an interviewer he was “not a strong believer” in the testing, and last week he tweeted that he “remain[s] opposed toward any new dog […]

[…] a point of contention. Before Trump fired him in March, Shulkin told an interviewer he was “not a strong believer” in the testing, and last week he tweeted that he “remain[s] opposed toward any new dog […]

[…] is a point of contention. Before Trump fired him in March, Shulkin told an interviewer he was “not a strong believer” in the testing, and last week he tweeted that he “remain[s] opposed toward any new dog […]

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