The USDA breeds up to 100 kittens a year, feeds them parasite-infected meat in order to have the parasite's eggs harvested for use in other experiments, and then kills the kittens.
GREGORY WALLACE: ‘Sen. Jeff Merkley is joining forces with a congressman to stop Agriculture Department researchers from euthanizing kittens used in their work. Merkley told CNN he introduced on Wednesday a Senate version of the KITTEN Act — officially, the “Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now Act of 2018.” “The USDA breeds up to 100 kittens a year, feeds them parasite-infected meat in order to have the parasite’s eggs harvested for use in other experiments, and then kills the kittens,” Merkley said. “This bill would essentially stop this process.” USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, which runs the testing, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the legislation…
The testing is conducted at an Agriculture Department facility in Beltsville, Maryland, near Washington, according to the White Coat Waste Project, which opposes animal-based research and exposed the practice earlier this year. The House version was introduced by Republican Rep. Mike Bishop, and now has 61 co-sponsors, including both Republicans and Democrats. Bishop lost his re-election bid last month. Merkley said he hopes to make the effort bipartisan in the Senate, too, when members return in the new year, and may discuss the issue with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’. SOURCE…
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