Exposure

Exposure

Camp Beagle has successfully put MBR Acres and the breeding of beagles for animal experimentation in the public eye and on the political agenda.

We tirelessly work to raise public awareness, because there are still too many people who are not aware beagles are being bred in desolate conditions to be used in flawed toxicology tests. As more and more people learn the truth about the MBR beagles and the outdated experiments they are being used for, the bigger the pressure will be on politicians, regulators, scientists and the industry to end animal testing and move to use Non-Animal Methods and establish safer and human-relevant research.

Below is a list of evidence we have gathered via investigations and collaborative work carried out to expose the cruel conditions in which MBR breeds beagles for animal testing. 

Chillingly, the evidence we have gathered is exactly the same evidence used by the Italian authorities to close down Green Hill, MBRs dog breeding facility in Brescia, Italy. Over 3,000 beagles were rescued.  MBRs Director, the Executive Manager, and the Veterinary Dr. were all sentenced to prison for serious animal welfare violations.

EVIDENCE OF NEGLECT AND SUFFERING GATHERED BY CAMP BEAGLE 

 

– Having a 24/7 presence at camp has allowed us to gather strong evidence on the level of neglect the MBR dogs endure:

  • Pregnant dogs, newly born pups, and weaning puppies are left unattended for 16 hours every weekday. On weekends and bank holidays, a tiny team of aprox. 4 workers come in for 4 hours, leaving the dogs unattended for 20 hours a day.
  • Dogs are fed dried kibble made by Envigo (another notorious beagle breeding company).
  • The sawdust used to soak up the urine on the concrete floors is substrate made for snakes kept in captivity, and is dangerous to young puppies, as they eat it and inhale the dust.
  • There are outdoor enclosures for exercising, but we can confirm they are never used, and the dogs are kept indoors all of the time, inside windowless sheds under a regime of 12 hours of artificial light and 12 hours of darkness.

– The first-ever covert footage of the beagles inside MBR Acres sheds captured images showing worse conditions than we had ever imagined: 

  • Wet concrete floors, filthy with faeces and sawdust soaked in urine.
  • No bedding: only an elevated platform where the dogs sleep or hard plastic beds with no bedding.
  • No enhancement: one single toy hung on a chain.
  • Automated feeding and drinking systems: the dogs don’t even have a bowl of water.  Instead they are trained to use a metal nipple drinker.

– The covert footage also showed dogs displaying signs of pathological repetitive behaviour typical of animals whose basic needs are not being met:

  • Dogs repetitively pacing up and down the pens aimlessly.
  • Dogs eating each other’s faeces.

– Whistle-blower images from MBR workers have confirmed what we already knew and have provided further new evidence of the suffering and abuse these dogs endure from the moment they are born.

– Footage evidence:

  • Minnie, a beautiful puppy who was put to sleep because she weighed 1.7 kilos.  She was considered too small to meet MBR beagle copyright standards.
  • A limping dog.
  • Groups of very young puppies kept in small pens with nothing else, but a large bucket filled to the rim with kibble and a metal nipple water drinker, often clogged with sawdust.
  • Young puppies who have been separated from their mothers too early and are kept under an infrared heat lamp.
  • Young puppies anxiously seeking care, love and attention at the sight of a human being.
  • Filthy conditions generally, with some areas completely covered in faeces.

– Testimony evidence:

  • Puppies who do not meet MBR standards are put to sleep.  For example, puppies who are too small or limping.
  • Most litters have recorded dead pups.
  • The dead puppies are wrapped in black bin liners and put in a chest freezer.
  • The breeding mothers are in poor condition, and they look sad and distressed.
  • The oldest mother at the time was 9 years old… never been outdoors, constantly breeding and having her pups taken away… a cycle of endless suffering.
  • MBR does not have a rehoming program.
  • Regular dog fights.
  • No affection is provided by the workers, the puppies are anxiously craving and seeking attention – panting, barking, pacing and chewing at the wire.
  • The dogs do not know how to play.
  • There are very poor cleaning standards on the regular daily practises, and it gets even worst during bank holidays, when often whole units are not cleaned.
  • The workers are very lazy because there is no supervision or real management of their day-to-day work.

Images taken by undercover cameras and whistleblowers inside of MBR Acres testify to the inhumane conditions endured by the beagles at this breeding facility.