Beagle Imports

Beagle Imports

In August 2023 Camp Beagle coordinated an International expose on the importation of beagles from the USA to laboratories across Europe.

Via FOI requests to British and Danish authorities, we obtained comprehensive data regarding the importation of beagles from breeding sites in the USA to European laboratories over the past five years. We gathered detailed information on over 6,000 beagles that were imported as cargo in SAS passenger planes. All the beagles imported arrived at Copenhagen Airport where they were processed and then distributed to other European countries.

https://youtu.be/Ozm6xxpqNFA?si=5QBt_dHV7gfkW84xhttps://youtu.be/Ozm6xxpqNFA?si=5QBt_dHV7gfkW84x

Initially, beagles were being imported from Envigo in Virginia, USA. However, in May 2022, the USA authorities closed this breeding facility for gross animal welfare violations, and MBR became then the sole importer of beagles for animal testing in Europe.

Marshall BioResources’ dog breeding site in North Rose, New York is 11 times bigger than the UK site in Huntington. Over 23,000 dogs live inside industrial sheds, with no outdoor access. They are kept in cages with wire mesh floors.

MBR has four dog breeding facilities in Europe: three in France and MBR Acres in Huntingdon, yet hundreds of dogs were being flown into Europe every year. This means the beagles first endured 5 hours on the road to get to the airport, then they were loaded as cargo into an 8 hour flight to Copenhagen, only to be flown again into a European Country. This was the route used to import beagles to European laboratories for 5 years… until we exposed them.

We worked with antivivisection groups from different nations and synchronised a joint media release in all 10 countries:

Seven European countries where the beagles were sent to:  UK, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium & France. 

USA – where the beagles are bred and imported from: Marshall BioResources North Rose, New York.

Denmark – Copenhagen Airport was the hub where ALL the imported beagles were processed and then distributed across Europe.

Sweden – headquarters of Scandinavian Airlines, the company flying the beagles in the passenger planes cargo hold.

We provided each group with the relevant data about the importation of beagles into their country: dates, flight numbers, quantity of dogs, and the laboratories where the beagles were taken. We also shared undercover footage taken by Anima.Dk of the beagles as cargo inside Copenhagen Airport. The expose was published in newspapers, broadcast on TV channels and posted on many social media platforms.

Since the international expose was launched:

  • Camp Beagle has been working with Peta USA in an ongoing letter campaign urging SAS to refuse flying dogs for animal testing.
  • Via consecutive FOI requests in Denmark, we have been able to verify that no beagles have been flown via Copenhagen Airport from the USA, by SAS Airlines or any other aviation company.
  • Via further FOI requests in the UK, we have been able to verify that except for one shipment a few days after our expose, no further beagles have been imported into the UK.

The disruption of their importation route saved numerous beagle’s lives and prevented immeasurable suffering, given that previously hundreds of dogs were being imported via this route every year.

SAS Airline still has not made a formal statement, so the pressure must continue to ensure they join the list of airlines and transport companies refusing to ship animals to laboratories.

Please send SAS the following semi-automated email. 




















All photos of beagles at Copenhagen Airport are courtesy of Anima.dk.