Humane World for Animals and the Humane World Action Fund have endorsed the Companion Animal Protection Against Cruel Testing (COMPACT) Act, introduced in Congress by Representatives Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) on September 23, 2026. This legislation aims to prohibit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, from funding experiments involving live dogs and cats.
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The use of dogs and cats in distressing experiments has drawn increased public attention, especially following incidents such as the rescue of over 4,000 beagles from the Envigo breeding facility in 2022.
Sara Amundson, president of the Humane World Action Fund, emphasized that the COMPACT Act would allow dogs and cats used in federally funded experiments to be adopted into homes. She stated, "This humane measure will give a new leash on life to dogs and cats... and close the era of taxpayer funding for experiments on animals that share our homes."
Kitty Block, president and CEO of Humane World for Animals, highlighted the suffering of these animals firsthand and expressed the urgency of transitioning to more effective, human-relevant scientific methods that do not involve animal testing. She remarked on the need for every dog and cat to have a chance at a better future.
The COMPACT Act aligns with the ongoing efforts of both organizations to reduce and eventually eliminate animal use in research. This includes promoting non-animal alternatives, increasing scrutiny of animal testing, and encouraging policies that favor human-based research methodologies.
The introduction of the COMPACT Act marks a significant step in these advocacy efforts by addressing the use of federal funding for experiments involving dogs and cats.