The University of South Carolina has stopped an experiment in which researchers administered electric shocks to punish cocaine-addicted rats for thirsting after the drug, The State reported. Emails between USC and the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare reveal that an anonymous complaint regarding animal use in the experiment reached the university in November of last year. A month later, the school told the NIH six rats had been shocked “at a higher amperage and for a longer duration” without approval, according to USC’s internal investigation. The executive director of Stop Animal Exploitation Now, Micahel Budkie, expressed outrage over the experiment and sent a letter to USC’s president calling for a permanent end to the research. While the head researcher voluntarily put the experiments on hold, USC has yet to decide whether it will continue testing the rats. “USC is committed to upholding the highest standards in the ethical treatment and responsible use of animals on its campuses,” a university spokesperson said. The research, which has received over $824,000 in funding since 2019, is meant to study addiction and drug abuse.