Army reportedly reversed longtime ban on shooting cats and dogs for research

The U.S. Army is reportedly allowing officials to shoot cats and dogs as part of ballistics research, with the military branch allegedly “quietly” reversing the longtime ban on the practice.

The Army Medical Research and Development Command “has quietly allowed shooting cats and dogs for wound experiments despite a 1983 Defense Department ban on the practice,” the New York Post reported on Friday, citing a document review. 

The Post said that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals attempted to learn the total number of shooting experiments performed on domestic pets, but that the Army rebuffed their attempts. 

“This new policy wasn’t highlighted or publicly announced in great fanfare,” PETA Vice President Shalin Gala told the outlet. “They most likely would not want the PR nightmare that would ensue should this information be released.”

The 1983 ban had originally come about after PETA learned of the military’s intention to buy a large amount of dogs from a shelter and test firearms on them.