Liam Conner
Washington – A company that breeds and sells animals to the scientific community for testing has admitted that it knowingly violated federal law when it failed to provide adequate care for animals. thousands of beagles at its breeding facility in Cumberland, Virginia, the Justice Department announced Monday.
Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Federal prosecutors sued Envigo RMS LLC in 2022, alleging the company neglected dogs due to inadequate veterinary care, insect-infested food and rampant unsanitary conditions. The process forced the company to lose more than 4,000 beagles that year to non-profit organizations that placed the rescued dogs for adoption.
At that time, Envigo also closed the Cumberland facility.
In a settlement agreement filed Monday, Envigo pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act, and its sister company, Envigo Global Services Inc., admitted to violating the Clean Water Act when it allowed residues from entering a local watercourse and negatively affecting the dogs. ‘ health. As part of the deal with prosecutors, its parent company, Inotiv, will pay $22 million in fines, plus millions more to improve its facilities and help with environmental restoration.
According to the Department of Justice, the fines are the largest ever recorded in a animal welfare case.
“Envigo fostered a business culture that prioritized profit and convenience over following the law,” U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia Christopher Kavanaugh said in a statement. “This callous approach has led to dire consequences: the inhumane treatment of animals and the contamination of our waterways.”
Inotiv said in a declaration that it “fell short of our animal and environmental welfare standards” and apologized to the public. “In resolving this matter, we renew our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of animal care, as well as the communities and environments in which we operate. We hope others learn from our experience.”
Investigators alleged in the 2022 lawsuit that despite repeated warnings, the company failed to provide humane care to the thousands of beagles housed at the Virginia facility. Hundreds of dogs were found to be in “acute distress”.
“Envigo’s disregard for the law and the well-being of the beagles in its care has resulted in the animals’ unnecessary suffering and, in some cases, death,” prosecutors wrote at the time, accusing the company of creating conditions in which the dogs could dangerously attack each other.
The Humane Society, which led the operation to remove and find homes for the beagles, said in a statement that it is “grateful that those responsible for their suffering are being held accountable.”
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