Experiments on Dogs Will Continue, VA Secretary Says

Robert Wilkie, head of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, defends controversial research practices that have been heavily criticized by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Written byJef Akst

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Following news stories last week reporting that Veterans Affairs researchers continue to run invasive and controversial experiments on dogs, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie defended the practice.

“I love canines,” Wilkie tells The Washington Post. “But we have an opportunity to change the lives of men and women who have been terribly hurt. And until somebody tells me that that research does not help in that outcome, then I’ll continue.” Specifically, he says studies using dogs have led to decades-old innovations such as the cardiac pacemaker and a treatment for deadly cardiac arrhythmias, the newspaper reports.

Wilkie says he will reauthorize experiments on canine subjects, including nine active projects involving 92 dogs that focus on spinal cord injuries. According to USA Today, some of the research involves removing parts of the dogs’ brains before euthanizing the animals; others involve placing electrodes on their spinal cords.

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
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Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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