Dr. Anthony Fauci generated his fair share of negative headlines throughout the pandemic and beyond, but one of the most disturbing stories related to the former NIH director was the testing performed on beagles, which resulted in thousands of dead puppies.

According to the Daily Mail, President Donald Trump recently made a move to shut down testing on beagles, which was previously approved on Fauci's watch, and the bipartisan relief could be felt all across the country. 

The National Institute of Health (NIH) finally shut down its beagle testing laboratory in which dogs were subjected to unthinkable, often inhuman testing.

Animal welfare groups were quick to put politics aside over the last few years in the hopes of saving as many of the tortured animals as possible, and often exposed some of the nightmare scenarios they were subjected to.

What's going on?

Justin Goodman, WCW senior vice president of advocacy and public policy, revealed some of the disgusting tests that took place in the beagle laboratories.

"Then they're allowed to suffer for up to 96 hours, and the ones who don't die during that period are killed at the end of the project," Goodman said.

NIH director Jay Bhattacharya, chosen by President Donald Trump to head up the agency, made the bombshell, relieving announcement this week that beagle testing was shut down on Trump's watch, saying he "got rid of all the beagle experiments on the NIH campus."

"I got flowers from PETA — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Normally, I think NIH directors tend to get physical threats, but they sent me flowers," the NIH director said.

Goodman added, "We are so proud and thrilled that the Trump administration has made cutting this laboratory and getting the NIH out of the dog testing business a top priority."

Daily Mail noted:

The NIH's beagle experiments have been mired in controversy since 2021, when scathing WCW reports launched accusations of animal cruelty and wasteful spending at NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

Social media reacts

Users across social media reacted to the news of the beagle testing labs being shuttered under Trump's watch.

May 5, 2025 — President Trump delivered a major victory for animal rights by ending all beagle testing at the NIH. Over 2,100 beagles were saved, and a 40 yr old NIH lab was permanently shut down. A historic milestone for ethical science and a compassionate step forward for our… pic.twitter.com/M2kFz8gN97

— Idaho Republican News (@RepublicanIdaho) May 6, 2025

"How about stop testing on all animals and stop making crap that you gotta test for death," one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "That's so heartwarming to hear! Beagles are the best."