pressoffice63
- Dec 20, 2022
- 3 min read

Negotiations Begin for Release of Beagles ‘Love and Libby' captured by Police, 14 Rescuers Detained

18 beagle puppies have been successfully freed from animal testing 'hell'. Organisations rally to free 2 more dogs captured and held by police.

In the early hours of Tuesday 20th December, 18 beagles were freed from Cambridgeshire animal testing breeding facility, MBR Acres.
14 arrests have been made as supporters of Animal Rebellion remain at the scene to accept responsibility for the rescue of the 18 beagle puppies, risking spending their Christmas in cells, if remanded to prison.
An additional 2 dogs, Love and Libby, have been seized by Cambridgeshire Police on their way off-site. Other organisations flock to negotiate their release to a sanctuary, with public pressure mounting.
A petition has been launched to secure the freedom of Love and Libby https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/we-support-the-beagle-rescuers-end-animal-testing?source=direct_link&fbclid=IwAR1BS-Q7TG3cX-9QHVDlJmO8eBWpyj4iYcMoJZ3ErGBeVfg5ZKZdaNKEQXE
Conditions documented by rescuers show floors are “covered in faeces” and “no comfort provided in the form of bedding or blankets”.
The group say they intend to put ‘animal testing on trial’ and that a jury finding them not guilty of any wrongdoing will send a clear message that testing on beagles and other animals cannot continue.

At around 05:30, Tuesday 20th December, 12 supporters of Animal Rebellion entered an animal testing breeding facility and freed 18 beagle puppies. 2 dogs, Love and Libby, have been captured by police.

Footage of the unacceptable living conditions within MBR Acres was captured on cameras by the group. Dogs can be seen playing in their own excrement before making desperate attempts to interact with the rescuers.

Dr Alice Brough, Director of the Progressive Veterinary Association has said:

"The conditions shown in this footage are entirely unacceptable; floors are covered in faeces and there is no comfort provided in the form of bedding or blankets, at a time when outside temperatures have dropped to well below freezing. Beagles are particularly intelligent and require sufficient stimulation for welfare, and the cage enrichment appears pitiful. The puppies in this footage are desperate to interact with people, clearly starved of attention and affection by staff. From June when I last reviewed footage, no improvements have been made; it remains a facility not at all fit for the care of animals to which nobody in their right mind would return a puppy once freed."

There is a broad-range of support and rising pressure for the release of the two dogs, Love and Libby.

Robert Cogswell, Director of Operations from Beagle Freedom Project UK has gone to the police station to negotiate their release, and 4000 people have signed a petition launched this morning calling for the release.

Video of dogs in a police car has also been captured by Camp Beagle, who have camped outside this facility for 2 years in protest. The wagging of a dog's tail can be seen through a tinted window.