Emergency Order Issued Against Beagle-Breeding Facility Responsible for “Chilling” Animal Abuse
Regulators said the site was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of beagle puppies who were being bred for medical research.
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Credit: PETA
Nursing female dogs deprived of food, needles stuck into puppies’ heads, dogs drenched with high-pressure hoses. These were just some of the instances of abuse witnessed by the investigator during an undercover operation into a huge beagle-breeding facility based in Cumberland, Virginia back in 2021.
Owned by Envigo, an international supplier of dogs and other animals to laboratories for use in pharmaceutical and biomedical research, the Virginia-based ‘dog factory farm’ confined more than 5,000 beagle dogs.
In addition to this 7-month undercover investigation by People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals (PETA), multiple public inspections by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have resulted in dozens of violations being documented at the breeding farm. Despite this, business has continued as usual - until now.
The USDA and the Department of Justice (DOJ) officials have finally accused Envigo of violating animal welfare law and have confiscated at least 145 beagles found to be in “acute distress” from the Virginia facility, according to a lawsuit filed on Thursday.
U.S. District Judge Norman Moon ordered Envigo to “immediately cease breeding, selling, or otherwise dealing in beagles at the Cumberland Facility, until in full compliance” with the orders’ requirements, which include multiple alterations concerning housing, veterinary treatment, and food and water access, among others.
The judge also halted Envigo from euthanizing any beagle at the Cumberland site without the consent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office or a court order if the federal prosecutor does not consent.
“Envigo’s disregard for the law and the welfare of the beagles in its care has resulted in the animals’ needless suffering and, in some cases, death,” according to the DOJ complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia.
The ruling sheds light on federal investigators’ findings at the facility just last week. Dogs were found with “significant and serious health conditions, including wounds that required wound care and antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medications, or swollen or enflamed paws, or had dental disease, or other health issues,” according to the ruling.
“Over 150 beagle puppies under 5 weeks of age, and 16 adult beagles, were found dead and medical records indicated their corpses had already begun to decompose and so no other cause of death could be identified,” it stated.
Investigators also found numerous beagles trapped in cage floors, one whose jaw was stuck in the cage bars, and unhygienic conditions including insects, mold, and a buildup of old food.
Credit: PETA
Animal advocates have been left confused and frustrated by the lack of action taken by federal officials before May 18.
“It is baffling” that the USDA repeatedly cited Envigo without rendering “immediate aid to those animals,” Daphna Nachminovitch, senior vice president of cruelty investigations for PETA, told National Geographic. To have so many violations is “unheard of,” she says. And considering their severity, “it’s chilling.”
Envigo has denied the allegations and intends to fight the lawsuit, according to a statement. “The highest quality of animal welfare is a core value of our company and is central to our business,” it said.
Envigo’s practices have also prompted political outrage. In March, Virginia’s U.S. senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine demanded that federal inspectors revoke the facility's license, due to its “continued horrific mistreatment” of beagles. In April, Virginia’s Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, signed five “beagle bills” to protect dogs and cats being used in research, an initiative prompted by the abuse occuring at the Cumberland County beagle mill.
Nachminovitch said of the judge’s order: “The court’s action is groundbreaking and essential to protect the beagles. Federal intervention is the only way to prevent the neglect and abuse of dogs that PETA’s undercover investigation exposed — and we hope it leads to the end of this miserable business.”
Find out more on how campaigners are working to change the system and stop animal tests: listen to our podcast episode “Tax Payer Funded Torture” with Justin Goodman of The White Coat Waste Project here.
Calls for an end to animal testing are louder than ever, as more than 25 million dogs, cats, monkeys, guinea pigs, and other animals are used in US experiments every year. Learn more about why animal testing is cruel, unethical and dangerous to humans here.
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