Last Updated on July 7, 2024 by Dogs Vets
US dog breeder fined $35m after 4,000 beagles rescued
A company that breeds animals for medical testing, Envigo RMS LLC, has been fined a record $35 million (£27 million) after the rescue of 4,000 beagles from its facility in Virginia in 2022.
The fine, the largest ever issued under the Animal Welfare Act, was imposed by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) for animal cruelty.The company’s parent, Inotiv, has agreed to pay the record eight-figure settlement and has also agreed not to breed dogs for the next five years.
The breeding facility in Cumberland, owned by Envigo RMS, was sued by the US Department of Justice in May for multiple acts of animal cruelty.Inspectors found that some dogs were being euthanized instead of receiving basic veterinary care for treatable conditions.
The animals were also being fed contaminated food containing maggots, mould, and faeces, while nursing mothers were denied sustenance altogether. The rescue of the 4,000 dogs led to a nationwide effort by animal shelters to find new homes for them in the US.
The DoJ stated that Envigo had “conspired to knowingly violate the Animal Welfare Act by failing to provide, among other things, adequate veterinary care, adequate staffing, and safe living conditions for dogs housed at the Cumberland County facility.”
The company’s sister company, Envigo Global Services Inc, also admitted to breaking the Clean Water Act by not properly treating wastewater, which negatively impacted the dogs’ health and contaminated the environment.
The agreement requires Envigo to pay $22 million to the US government, as well as approximately $1.1 million to the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force and approximately $1.9 million to the Humane Society of the United States for their assistance in rescuing the beagles. The deal will be formally approved by a judge on October 7
