The race for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania is getting heated between Dr. Mehmet Oz, a Republican, and John Fetterman, a Democrat. Things took a turn for the worse when puppies got involved.
A Jezebel report alleged that research which Oz was involved in killed over 300 dogs during experiments that violated the Animal Welfare Act, which sets the standard for the care of animals. This was corroborated by whistleblower and veterinarian Catherine Dell’Orto’s testimony.
At least 1,000 live animals, including rabbits, pigs, cows and rodents, were tested on between 1989 and 2010 at the Columbia University Institute of Comparative Medicine labs, where the Senate candidate was a “principal investigator.”
“One Oz-led study resulted in a litter of puppies being killed by intracardiac injection with syringes of expired drugs inserted in their hearts without any sedation,” the report stated.
“Upon being killed, the puppies were allegedly left in a garbage bag with living puppies who were their littermates.”
Oz was a practicing surgeon at Columbia University during this time, per People.
Fetterman was quick to take advantage and tweeted out: “BREAKING: Dr. Oz is a puppy killer,” shortly after the article was published.
And he continued to campaign against Oz using this news.
“I LOVE my dogs. Apparently some sick people like Dr. Oz get their jollies by harming animals...” Fetterman wrote in another tweet, per Insider. “We have a close race here in PA and I could use your help to keep the #PuppyKiller out of the US Senate.”
He also retweeted a picture of Dr. Oz holding a puppy and asked: “Has anyone seen this dog since May?”
Oz’s spokesperson, Brittany Yannick, told People that the Senate candidate wasn’t personally involved in the incidents “and to say otherwise is a lie.”
“His name was on some forms due to his role within the Department of Surgery,” she said, adding that he doesn’t condone the mistreatment of animals.
Per The Daily Beast, Columbia was forced to pay $2,000 in fines in 2004 for violating federal laws that prohibit animal cruelty.
Only last week, the senate unanimously passed the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, which would eliminate the required animal testing for new drugs.