Fauci accused of funding experiments involving beagles being 'eaten alive'

Days after being accused of lying to Congress, White House medical advisor Dr Anthony Fauci has now been blamed for funding projects that involve beagles being caged and fed to infectious insects. Earlier this week, White Coat Waste Project - an animal rights organisation said that Fauci used over a million of taxpayer’s money to fund a Tunisian Research Lab which conducted cruel experiments on puppies.

As many as 44 puppies were used as a part of the experiment, as per the animal rights organisation. Some were also stripped of their vocal cords so that their barks were muzzled. Speaking to The Hill, a representative of the White Coat Waste Project said that Fauci-led-NIAID transferred US$ $1.68 million grant to the lab to conduct the experiments in total. 

'Drugged and dissected'

As per the group’s investigation, young beagles were drugged and their heads were locked in a mesh cage filled with hungry sandflies so that the insects could 'eat them alive'. "They also locked beagles alone in cages in the desert overnight for nine consecutive nights to use them as bait to attract infectious sand flies, the group added. A second experiment included the dogs in California being injected with drugs, before being killed and dissected. Meanwhile, a third project saw puppies howl in pain while being experimented upon.

In the aftermath, a team of Bipartisan legislators have demanded answers from the NIAID chief. A letter that was signed by Democrat leader Cindy Axne and Republican Nancy Mace, asked for a disclosure of the total funds that were spent on the experiments. In addendum, they have also demanded complete information on the number of experiments conducted on the puppies since 2018.

An excerpt from the letter read, "Of particular concern is the fact that the invoice to NIAID included a line item for 'cordectomy'. As you are likely aware, a cordectomy, also known as 'devocalization', involves slitting a dog's vocal cords in order to prevent them from barking, howling, or crying."

"This cruel procedure – which is opposed with rare exceptions by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Animal Hospital Association, and others – seems to have been performed so that experimenters would not have to listen to the pained cries of the beagle puppies. This is a reprehensible misuse of taxpayer funds."

Image: Dawna48664870/Twitter/AP