Dogs and cats are companions, family members, and individuals deserving of compassion. Yet they continue to be used in certain federally funded biomedical research programs, even as non-animal research technologies advance.
H.R. 10522—the Companion Animal Protection Against Cruel Testing (COMPACT) Act—would help change that. This proposed legislation would prohibit the use of Department of Health and Human Services funds for biomedical research involving live dogs and cats. The bill is currently assigned to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.
What Would the COMPACT Act Do?
According to the bill’s accompanying information sheet, the COMPACT Act would:
- Restrict federal funding for research involving live dogs and cats, including grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, fellowships, and training awards.
- Protect and rehome animals currently used in biomedical testing.
- Strengthen compliance and oversight, providing tools to address taxpayer-funded experimentation on dogs and cats.
- Require transparency and accountability, including an annual agency report and a Government Accountability Office review three years after enactment.
The proposal preserves flexibility for genuine national emergencies and veterinary research. It also encourages modernization toward valid non-animal methods, including in vitro systems and computational modeling, while providing research institutions with transition provisions and implementation guidance.
Supporters include Animal Wellness Action, White Coat Waste Project, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, PETA, Humane World for Animals, Humane World Action Fund, Beagle Freedom Project, and Save the Dogs.
Houston-Area Voices Can Help
Please contact your U.S. House member and ask them to support H.R. 10522—especially if your representative is Lizzie Fletcher or Dan Crenshaw!
Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX-7) and Rep. Dan Crenshaw (TX-2) both serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and its Subcommittee on Health. That subcommittee’s responsibilities include biomedical research and the Department of Health and Human Services, making its work particularly relevant to this legislation.
Contact their offices here:
You can keep your message simple:
As your constituent, I urge you to support and cosponsor H.R. 10522, the Companion Animal Protection Against Cruel Testing (COMPACT) Act, and help advance it through the Energy and Commerce Committee. Please support modern biomedical research methods and stronger protections for dogs and cats used in federally funded research.
Include your name and address so the office can identify you as a constituent.
Learn More with Dr. Johnny Lieberman
Dr. Johnny Lieberman, MD, CPHQ, MSL, will speak to the UU Animal Ministry of Houston on October 28, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.
His presentation,“Leading with Compassion, Advocating with Science: What Every Animal Advocate Should Know About Testing on Animals,” offers an opportunity to explore the relationship between compassionate advocacy and scientific understanding.
You can also watch Dr. Lieberman’s testimony at the COMPACT Act press conference.
Help turn compassion into action: contact your representative, share this information, and join us on October 28.
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