A company that breeds animals for medical testing has been hit with a record $35 million fine after 4,000 beagles were rescued from its Virginia facility in 2022.
Envigo RMS LLC was penalized for animal cruelty, marking the largest fine ever under the Animal Welfare Act, according to the US Department of Justice (DoJ).
“Envigo promoted a business culture that prioritized profit and convenience over following the law,” said Christopher Kavanaugh, US attorney for the Western District of Virginia, in a statement.
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He added that this callous approach resulted in the inhumane treatment of animals and environmental contamination.
Envigo’s parent company, Inotiv, has agreed to pay the record eight-figure settlement and will cease dog breeding for the next five years. In a statement on its website, Inotiv acknowledged its failures, saying, “By not making necessary infrastructure upgrades and hiring requisite staff, we fell short of our standards for animal and environmental welfare and apologize to the public for the harm caused by our conduct.”
The breeding facility in Cumberland, operated by Envigo RMS, was sued by the US Department of Justice in May. The federal agency accused the facility of numerous acts of animal cruelty. Inspectors discovered that some dogs were killed instead of receiving basic veterinary care for easily treatable conditions. Additionally, the animals were fed food contaminated with maggots, mold, and feces, and some nursing mothers were left without food.
The rescue of the 4,000 dogs in August 2022 prompted a nationwide effort by animal shelters to find them new homes. The Justice Department stated on Monday that Envigo admitted to conspiring to knowingly violate the Animal Welfare Act by failing to provide adequate veterinary care, staffing, and safe living conditions for the dogs at the Cumberland County facility.
Envigo’s sister company, Envigo Global Services Inc., also admitted to violating the Clean Water Act by failing to properly treat wastewater, which harmed the dogs’ health and contaminated the environment.
The agreement requires the company to pay $22 million to the US government, approximately $1.1 million to the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force, and around $1.9 million to the Humane Society of the United States for their assistance in rescuing the beagles. A judge is set to formally approve the deal on October 7.
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