Envigo RMS LLC, a company that breeds animals for medical testing, has been fined a record $35 million (£27 million) following the rescue of 4,000 beagles from its Virginia facility in 2022. The fine, the largest ever issued under the Animal Welfare Act, was announced by the US Department of Justice (DoJ).
Christopher Kavanaugh, the US attorney for the Western District of Virginia, stated, “Envigo promoted a business culture that prioritized profit and convenience over following the law. This callous approach led to dire consequences: the inhumane treatment of animals and the contamination of our waterway.”
Inotiv, Envigo’s parent company, has agreed to pay the historic settlement and has committed to ceasing dog breeding for the next five years. In a statement on its website, Inotiv acknowledged its failure to uphold standards for animal and environmental welfare, apologizing for the harm caused by its conduct.
The US Department of Justice sued Envigo RMS in May, citing numerous instances of animal cruelty at its Cumberland facility. Inspectors discovered that dogs were being killed instead of receiving basic veterinary care for treatable conditions. Additionally, the animals were fed food contaminated with maggots, mold, and feces, and some nursing mothers were not provided with food at all.
The rescue operation in August 2022 involved a nationwide effort by animal shelters to find new homes for the beagles. The DoJ revealed that Envigo admitted to conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act by failing to provide adequate veterinary care, staffing, and safe living conditions for the dogs.
Envigo’s sister company, Envigo Global Services Inc., also admitted to violating the Clean Water Act by failing to properly treat wastewater, which negatively impacted the dogs’ health and contaminated the environment.
As part of the agreement, Envigo will pay $22 million to the US government, 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 settlement is scheduled for formal approval by a judge on October 7.
