Extreme Temperatures at MBR Acres
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Extreme Temperatures at MBR Acres
Extreme high temperatures are serious concerns for the beagles at MBR Acres.
The dogs are kept in metal, windowless sheds with no air conditioning systems.
Using a laser thermometer, we have recorded surface temperatures of over 40°C when measuring the ventilation grilles on the outside of the sheds. While this does not measure the internal air temperature, it raises significant concerns about the conditions inside during heatwaves periods.
The workers leave an hour earlier on the days of extreme heat as the conditions inside the sheds are unbearable for them, but the dogs are left unattended inside the metal sheds.
Extreme Temperatures and the Law
Laboratory animals are exempted from the protection that the Animal Welfare Act 2006 provides to all the animals in the UK. Instead, they are regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), revised in 2012.
ASPA is enforced by the Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU), and ther are responsible for regulating and inspecting licenced establishments such as MBR Acres.
The legislation is accompanied by a Code of Practice for the Care and Accommodation of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes, which is divided into two parts:
2. Environmental conditions
2.1 Ventilation and temperature Insulation, heating, and ventilation of the holding room shall ensure that the air circulation, dust levels, and gas concentrations are kept within limits that are not harmful to the animals housed and are appropriate for the housing system in operation. Temperature and relative humidity in the holding rooms shall be adapted to the species and age groups housed. The temperature shall be measured and logged on a daily basis. Animals shall not be restricted to outdoor areas under climatic conditions which may cause them distress.
The section providing advisory guidelines includes the following reference to temperatures:
As puppies have limited thermoregulatory control in the first ten days or so of life, it is advisable to provide additional local heating within the whelping enclosure. New-born puppies require a local environmental temperature of 26–28oC for at least the first five to ten days of life.
Please note the above is only advisory, and not a legal requirement.
MBR Acres holds an Establishment Licence under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) and is therefore legally required to comply with the Standard Conditions of its Establishment Licence. These set out the minimum legal requirements for the care and accommodation of animals and the operation of establishments.
Condition 4 states:
1. All protected animals must at all times be provided with adequate care and accommodation appropriate to their type or species.
5. The health and well-being of protected animals, and the environmental conditions in all parts of the establishment where protected animals are kept, shall be checked at least once daily by competent persons. Arrangements shall be made to ensure that any defect discovered and any avoidable pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm discovered is eliminated as quickly as possible.
Condition 5 states:
The licence holder shall ensure that the establishment shall be appropriately staffed at all times to ensure the well-being of the protected animals. Staff shall be adequately educated and trained before they perform any function relating to the care of the protected animals and shall be supervised when performing any such function until they have demonstrated the requisite competence.
Take Action regarding Extreme Temperatures at MBR Acres
If you are concerned about the welfare of the beagles during periods of extreme heat, there are several ways you can help hold the authorities to account.
• Contact ASRU
If you are concerned that MBR Acres may not be complying with its legal obligations during periods of extreme temperatures, you can report your concerns to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU).
Email: ASRUEnforcement@homeoffice.gov.uk
Suggested subject line: Potential NC Notification – MBR Acres Limited
You will usually receive an automated acknowledgement confirming that your email has been received, but ASRU does not normally provide any responses.
• Contact Your MP
Write to your MP to express your concerns about the housing conditions of the beagles at MBR Acres, including the risks posed by extreme temperatures.
Many MPs reply using standard letters prepared by their party. However, every letter helps demonstrate public concern about the MBR beagles.
If your MP writes to a Home Office Minister on your behalf, you will normally receive a different standard letter, likely prepared by ASRU.
• Submit a Freedom of Information Request
You can also ask the Home Office for information by submitting a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
Email: foirequests@homeoffice.gov.uk
To maximise the chances of receiving a clear response, ask specific, focused questions. Where appropriate, frame your questions so they can be answered with a simple “yes“ or “no“, or request clearly defined pieces of information rather than broad explanations. If you write too many times the HO will let you know that they refuse to respond to your correspondence.
You can read the Freedom of Information (FOI) request that we submitted to the Home Office regarding extreme temperatures at MBR Acres.
The Home Office initially refused to disclose the requested information. Therefore, we requested an Internal Review, which upheld the original refusal.
We then lodged a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), and for the first time ever in one of our FOI cases, the ICO upheld our complaint and has ordered the Home Office to disclose the requested information. We are now waiting for the release of the information.
You can read the ICO Decision Notice here.
Political Action regarding Extreme Temperatures at MBR
As a result of growing public concern about the conditons of the beagles during this summer’s heatwaves, three MPs have raised questions in Parliament regarding the conditions at MBR Acres.
In the response to the most recent Parliamentary Question, the Home Office Minister revealed that, on 10 July 2026, the Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) carried out an announced visit to MBR Acres to inspect compliance with ASPA requirements following the recent period of high temperatures.
Unsurprisingly, the Minister stated that “No immediate animal welfare concerns were identified by inspectors on the day of the visit” and failed to explain that ASAP does not include any requirements regarding maximum or minimum temperatures for the housing of dogs.
ASRU inspectors have been visiting MBR for 9 years and they have NEVER found a single animal welfare concern. For ASRU none of the following is of any concerns as ASPA legislation allows it:
Dogs left unattended for 16 to 20hr a day.
The inspection followed concerns raised with ASRU by members of the public and by Ben Obese-Jecty, MP for Huntingdon. In his letter to the Government, he explained that he had received a significant volume of correspondence from constituents expressing concerns about the risks posed to the dogs by extreme high temperatures during this summer’s heatwaves.
Sadly The Government’s reply to Ben Obese-Jecty MP was a standard response that did not address the wider concerns about the suitability of the housing conditions during periods of extreme heat.