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October 29, 2021
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In a world full of fake news, we on the HUCKABEE team are dismayed on the very rare occasions when we hear we might possibly have trafficked in it, however inadvertently. But then our dismay fades away when we find out we really were on the right track after all. This is one of those occasions.

A reader named Dobbin C. wrote to say, “Governor, you are really disappointing me. You continue to promulgate the fake news about the testing on beagles. You cannot in good conscience criticize the other side by sensationalizing fake news when you are doing it, too.”

Dobbin likely read the “fact”-check by POLITIFACT that rated the claim that Dr. Fauci’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) was funding certain cruel beagle studies “mostly false.” Guess it’s time to fact-check the “fact”-checkers again.

First, let’s go back to what we actually said: that it had been “reported” that while Dr. Fauci was running the NIAID, it gave $400,000 to fund the cruel experiments involving beagles and sandflies, and that some people were very upset about it. Here’s the quote from the morning newsletter for October 27: “Dr. Anthony Fauci is facing bipartisan fury and the hashtag @ArrestFauci is trending after it was reported that under his leadership, the NIH gave $400,000 in funding for medical experiments in which beagle puppies endured months of horrific, torturous treatment, then were killed.”

This is true. We did not engage in “sensationalizing” this story. We did not accuse Dr. Fauci of personally signing off on these experiments, as many probably did, nor did we even imply it. We didn’t even claim that the NIAID had funded these experiments, only that reports of it were making people mad. What we said was true.

Here is the story we linked to from FOX NEWS. They handled the story correctly as well, referring to “allegations” against the doctor and the Institute.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/arrestfauci-trends-twitter-doctor-faces-criticism-controversial-virus-research-testing-dogs

I do like that they also included this link to another Fauci story, though.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/arrestfauci-trends-twitter-doctor-faces-criticism-controversial-virus-research-testing-dogs

We linked to a list of other cruel animal studies that to our knowledge the “fact”-checkers have not addressed, and also to a related and correct story about PETA calling on Dr. Fauci to resign. This is true; they have. Again, we never accused Dr. Fauci or the NIAID of funding these studies.

Now, let’s look at what POLITIFACT said to refute the story. They reported that NIAID said it “did not fund one of the studies.” (“ONE OF” the studies?) Apparently that study was the one from the photograph that has been widely circulated, the one from Tunisia of the two anesthetized beagles with their heads enclosed so sandflies could eat them. (I’ms so sorry even to have to talk about something this disturbing, but that’s what it was.) However, there were two other studies –- one of which also involved the cutting of the dogs’ vocal cords and euthanizing them at the end –- that they say they DID fund. So we would say that POLITIFACT is really splitting hairs here.

According to POLITIFACT, “the NIAID said all animals used in NIH-funded research are protected by laws, regulations and policies that were followed in these studies.”

POLITIFACT goes on to quote some of the more sensationalized tweets about Dr. Fauci, terrible names he was called, etc. Again, we did not engage in any of that. They mention inaccuracies in “some reports and social media postings.” That wouldn’t be us, either.

While we were looking into this, we found something very interesting about dogs used in American medical research and are including it to provide some interesting historical perspective on the cruel beagle studies currently in the news. American tax dollars have apparently been funding extremely cruel experiments on dogs, particularly beagles, for a very long time. Researchers find that the beagle is a breed particularly suited to experimentation because of "its size and long life."

There's even such a thing as the "Beagle Data Congress," where in 2010, researchers discussed their “Beagle Dog Experiments” researching the effects of atomic radiation. An earlier project called "the Argonne Beagle Dog Experiments" was carried out on 5,000 very unlucky beagles from 1952 to 1991 and supported by grants from the Atomic Energy Commission. There were 15 "unique" (and uniquely horrifying) studies that involved blasting beagles with radiation and documenting the effects.

For example, 295 beagles were subjected to "continuous external co-60 gamma-ray exposure continued until death." Another study was called "Leukemogenesis: duration-of-life gamma irradiation of young adult beagles." And 298 beagles were given "gamma ray exposure during pregnancy," to learn the effects of radiation on the developing puppies. Good grief.

Poor Snoopy.

http://janus.northwestern.edu/nira/index.php/Beagle_Dog_Experiments

Here's more information on the Argonne National Laboratory. If you thought this place was in France, you were wrong. It's in Argonne, Illinois. It’s an American lab with, as far as we can tell, American funding.

http://janus.northwestern.edu/nira/index.php/Argonne_National_Laboratory

So when the NIAID says the dogs in their experiments are “protected by laws, regulations and policies that were followed in these studies,” what does that even mean? That it’s “policy” to cut dogs’ vocal cords when their cries of pain are too loud? Because that’s what they did. It’s time for their “policies” to change.

Anyway, we stand by everything we’ve had to say on this, and we actually appreciate the letter from Dobbin, misguided as it was, as it gave us an opportunity to clarify and update the actual story: Yes, the AIAID has had to admit that it does fund cruel research studies on dogs, just not the one in the picture.

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Comments 1-10 of 78

  • Dobbin Callahan

    01/17/2022 10:02 AM

    Governor, I felt like I had lost a best friend. You really stung me with your reply. Then I re-read my comments and realized that I had gotten caught up in my own rhetoric and deserved at least some of your vitriol.
    I have been a fan of yours for years, but was so bitten by your comments about me ("misguided" etc.) that I totally avoided any exposure to your show and newsletters. But last night I watched your show again, and realized that I agree with and support virtually everything that you stand for.
    I am going to ask now what I should have asked with my first note: Would you please research the great humanitarian contributions made by laboratory animal research and perhaps temper your position on it. Diabetes treatments, COVID vaccines and treatment, the virtual elimination of small pox and a myriad of other diseases have been mitigated through the use of animals in laboratory research.
    I too am an animal lover. My dear Brittany Spaniel, family pet and wonderful bird hunting companion, is near the end of her life, and I will be devastated when that time comes. But as much as I love animals, I understand their role in making life better for us, and for other animals (a lot of animal research benefits animals, also).
    If there is wrong-doing in animal research, and I don't know any human endeavor without wrong-doing, I believe you could be more successful in effecting change if you could acknowledge that there is huge benefit to be gained from the research. I would be glad to link you to some resources.
    Thank you, and blessings
    Dobbin Callahan

  • Robin McConnell

    11/21/2021 08:44 PM

    Dear Governor - I appreciate very much that you highlighted the cruel Beagle experiments. It is actually a whole industry that is in great part funded by our tax $$. It starts with the breeders who supply 65,000 Beagle puppies a year to be pointlessly tortured in U.S. labs. It has historically been much easier to get govt grant $$ if animal experiments are included. There are alternatives, and this barbaric industry must be stopped. There is an Intercept article showing main breeders as Ridglan Farms, Covance Research Products and Marshall Farms. Maybe your team could look into it? Thank you, Robin
    P.S. I think the NIH DID fund the Tunisia studies. See Whitecoat Waste Project info.

  • Kathleen (Kathy) S Roberts Heppner

    11/02/2021 01:52 PM

    Yours truly take a worse than dim view of those who fund or practice the cruelty of the majority of "experimentation" on any creature, it appears to me to merely be an excuse to torture these poor creatures. Dr. Fauci and others who are involved should perhaps be subjected to the very torturous "experiments" that they have subjected these Beagles to. As for other so-called "experiments" on animals that have been done or are being done the same applies. One thing we all need to look at, some of the worst torturers and serial murderers began on animals... I do not trust folks like Dr. Fauci, no not one bit!

  • renee atkins

    11/02/2021 06:48 AM

    How do we close these places? I think they do it out of evil not research. Back at the very beginning of the pandemic , information from Del Bigtree's podcast told us that Fauci knew about the good results of hydroxychloroquine on covid viruses. That evil man could have spoken up and told people to at least give it a try. Thousands and thousands of people died and he can still sit there on his interviews and act like masks and vaccines are the only way to go. What kind of doctor does that? Our life educated grandparents helps us more medically than that turn coat. They do what they've seen to work and they never had to torture beagles to learn it. That weasel of a man should be tried for genocide, treason, and then add on animal cruelty. He was part of that lab in China. How can we have charges filed against him? They could not take Al Capone down for murder but they got him for tax evasion. Maybe we can't get Fauci for millions of murderds but maybe we can for animal cruelty.

  • Patricia Plafcan

    11/01/2021 08:04 PM

    Thanks for being a voice of truth I feel comfortable trusting... keep it up.

  • Ronald D Carmony

    11/01/2021 03:26 PM

    Governor,
    I often wonder why you feel compelled to respond to people who spew the most vile and/or inane garbage at you for something good that you have written, when it's obvious that they are either hopelessly clueless or are merely trying to provoke you. Both kinds of losers should be ignored.

  • Earl Collins

    11/01/2021 12:05 PM

    This made me cry. I own a Jack Russell-Beagle mix. At the age of 9 my family owned a Beagle.
    They are loving, kind, smart dogs.
    This type of treatment of an animal, especially in the age of AI computer simulations, is horrible, at best, and should be discontinued immediately.
    There is no good reason to treat an animal, which trusts people to do them no harm, in this matter.
    Sand fleas are very painful. I know from experience. These are not scientists. These are horrible, people who clip wings off Flys. They need to be put in jail. General population please.

  • Elizabeth Ann Correll

    11/01/2021 10:22 AM

    Can someone explain the benefits humans have gained over cruelty to any animal? Has it enhanced our lives, made us safer, or just lined someone's pocket as they can claim that the final outcome proved it was safe for use or consumption, regardless of how many poor creatures had to suffer and die. Man's cruelty remains unchallenged as being the worse the world has ever known. Even wild animals usually kill to eat/survive. Men kill for the fun of it.

  • DANIEL L SMITH

    11/01/2021 07:19 AM

    Love. Love. Love. the hymn lyrics and links to the music... I had not heard "Beautiful Saviour" for many years... what an awesome song about our Saviour!

  • Dick Johnson

    11/01/2021 06:29 AM

    Mr Huckabee I think 40 and the Wuhan lab of virology has a lot of explaining to do something's kind of hinky about that that just don't seem right thank you sir.p