After the rescue of 20 beagle puppies (two of whom were subsequently captured by police) in December 2022, 18 people have been charged with burglary and will appear for a plea hearing at Cambridge Magistrates Court on 25/7/24 [1].
The action drew widespread support, with Will Young, Meg McCubbin, Peter Egan, and Roxy Shahidi commenting at the time [2].
Animal Rising has said that this trial will “put the eyes of the nation on animal testing, forcing the industry to defend itself in front of a jury of 12 ordinary people.” The group has labelled this the “trial of the decade” due to its significance on the issue of animal testing.
Nearly two years since the daring rescue of beagle puppies from Marshall BioResources (MBR) Cambridgeshire facility, 18 people have been charged with burglary concerning the actions on 20/12/22.
Dan Kidby, Animal Rising Co-Founder and Co-Director said:
“In 2022 Animal Rising saved the lives of 18 beagle puppies - sparing them unimaginable and pointless suffering in animal testing - and will now have the opportunity to put the horrors of MBR Acres in front of a jury. This case is not about burglary, rather it is about putting the animal testing industry on trial.
The animal testing industry loves to stay in the shadows, shielding itself from popular opinion. These beagle rescuers now given it nowhere to hide and the public is going to see the true face of testing on animals.”
The site, MBR Acres, is responsible for breeding around 2,000 beagles each year to be sold for animal testing at 16 weeks old. The company also holds ‘bleeding licences’ which allow them to bleed healthy dogs to death to harvest their blood and organs [3]. The site has previously come under fire for welfare breaches with recorded fly infestations, unhygienic buildings, lack of bedding, and dogs without access to outdoor spaces or enrichment [4].
Supporters of the group previously rescued five beagles from the facility in June 2022 but the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the burglary charges after 2 weeks [5].
Dr Lindsay Marshall, biomedical science advisor to the Humane Society International UK recently stated “The UK cannot expect to have world-leading science innovation whilst we rely on failing animal-based research methods that are rooted in the past.” [6] Reliable alternatives to animal testing include testing on lab-grown stem cells or ‘organs-on-a-chip’ [7].
Animal Rising is a social movement to create a new relationship with all beings and give us a chance for a safe ecological future. The group primarily calls for the transition to a secure and sustainable plant-based food system, alongside a mass rewilding programme.
ENDS
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Notes To The Editor:
The Dan Kidby quoted above is not one of the defendants in this trial, we are aware of legal reporting restrictions in ongoing criminal cases and encourage members of the press to contact us directly in the case of confusion.
[1] Original Action Press Release: https://www.animalrising.org/post/18-beagle-puppies-freed-from-life-of-suffering-as-rescuers-vow-to-put-animal-testing-on-trial (Please note the action was carried out under Animal Rising’s former name of “Animal Rebellion,” for reporting purposes please use Animal Rising)
[2] https://www.animalrising.org/post/will-young-leads-celebrity-calls-for-release-of-love-and-libby [3] Bleeding License: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZJeVUWMnE3msPSz1bE-fo_pWOkdJW8jc/view?usp=sharing
[4] FOI Request - Inspection Reports: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/inspectors_reports_for_mbr_acres
[5] https://animalrebellion.org/crown-prosecution-service-and-marshall-bioresources-drop-all-charges-against-animal-freedom-movements-mbr-12/ (Please note the action was carried out under the name “Animal Freedom Movement,” for reporting please use Animal Rising)
[6] https://www.hsi.org/news-media/home-office-statistics-reveal-no-decline-in-uk-animal-experiments/