Animals in Labs Article from All-Creatures.org



Beagle testing breeder Envigo pleads guilty to mistreatment and fined record $35.5m

From Amy Jones, SpeciesUnite.com
June 2024

As part of the investigation, more than 4,000 beagles bred for medical research experiments were rescued from Envigo’s Cumberland County facility.

rescued Beagles
The last group of beagles removed from Envigo RMS LLC facility in Cumberland, VA, by the HSUS. Credit: Meredith Lee/HSUS

A company that breeds beagles and other animals for medical testing has agreed to pay a record-breaking $35 million fine, the largest ever in an Animal Welfare Act case.

This settlement concludes a two-year investigation by the US Justice Department (USDA) investigation into the abuse of thousands of beagles at a breeding facility in Virginia that sold dogs to laboratories for experimentation.

Envigo RMSE, which owned and operated the Cumberland County breeding facility, pleaded guilty to a criminal charge of conspiracy to violate the federal Animal Welfare Act and by failing to provide adequate veterinary care and staffing.

Envigo Global Services Inc. pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to violate the federal Clean Water Act by failing to properly operate and maintain the wastewater treatment plant at that same facility.

These first-ever federal convictions of a supplier of animals for experimentation leave Inotiv, the parent company of Envigo, facing more than $35 million in penalties, including a $22 million fine.

“Everyone victimized in this precedent-setting animal welfare case deserved better: the workers, the beagles, the environment and the community,” Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Administrator David Uhlmann said. ”Envigo deserves every dollar of its record fine.”

Over a period of nine months, several public inspections by the USDA uncovered over 70 violations of the Animal Welfare Act at the breeding farm, leading the Department of Justice (DoJ) to file a lawsuit against Envigo.

Inspectors discovered that beagles were being euthanized instead of receiving treatment for easily curable conditions; nursing mother beagles were deprived of food; the food provided was contaminated with maggots, mold, and feces; and over an eight-week period, 25 beagle puppies died from cold exposure. Additionally, other dogs sustained injuries from being attacked in overcrowded conditions.

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Please read the ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE, including:

  • 4,000 Beagles Rescued
  • Years of Animal Cruelty
  • An Abusive Industry

Posted on All-Creatures.org: June 11, 2024
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