A company that breeds animals for medical testing has been fined a record $35m (£27m) after 4,000 beagles were rescued from its facility in Virginia in 2022.

The fine against Envigo RMS LLC for animal cruelty is the largest fine ever issued 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,” Christopher Kavanaugh, the US attorney for the Western District of Virginia, said in a statement.

“This callous approach led to dire consequences: the inhumane treatment of animals and the contamination of our waterway,” he said.

Envigo’s parent company, Inotiv, has agreed to pay the record eight-figure settlement. It has also agreed to not breed dogs for the next five years.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    100
    arrow-down
    6
    ·
    7 months ago

    Disgusting. Commercial breeding should be illegal. There are enough dogs in the world as it is and they encourage inbreeding to boot.

    • Sizzler@slrpnk.net
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      27
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      7 months ago

      These dogs are tortured and killed, they are bred to be tortured and killed.

  • Dasus@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    41
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    7 months ago

    Envigo promoted a business culture that prioritized profit and convenience over following the law

    Yeah that’s called capitalism

      • Dasus@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        11
        ·
        7 months ago

        Capitalism doesn’t have a monopoly on market economies, no matter how much it pretends to

        • Pacattack57@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          8
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          7 months ago

          I don’t know what you mean by that but there is a concept called law as price which is very prevalent in the US. Basically means that fines for laws are not punishment. It is the price to commit that crime. For example companies make billions and pay fines and write it off as operations cost. Planet Money on TikTok has a great video about it.

          • Dasus@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            11
            ·
            7 months ago

            I don’t know what you mean by that

            Yeah, clearly.

            Jesus, the education on the TikTok generation. Yes, that’s called capitalism.

            Profit above all else leads to to shitty societies, but we have a choice.

            • Pacattack57@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              6
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              7 months ago

              How do consumers have a choice that Envigo RMS LLC decided to use illegal business practice to breed dogs for medical testing? Please enlighten me.

              • Dasus@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                arrow-down
                11
                ·
                7 months ago

                As if it was Envigos choice.

                Don’t pretend everyone isn’t doing it under capitalism.

                Basically what youre saying is that it’s only their fault and that’s only because they got caught.

                Capitalism

                I’ll keep enjoying my objectively better, socialist nation

  • AhismaMiasma@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    46
    arrow-down
    9
    ·
    edit-2
    7 months ago

    Massive numbers of beagles are being used for genetic testing and experimentation by the government.

    Don’t worry about it.

    • BakerBagel@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      21
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      7 months ago

      Also medical and pharmacuetical testing. Variety in testing models are important, which is why there are lots of regulations about how abimals bred for research are treated and handled. It’s an ugly reality, but the alternative is just releasing potentially hazardous products on the population.

      • johannesvanderwhales@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        11
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        7 months ago

        At the end of the day I’d rather medical research be conducted on dogs than humans (at least, prior to when things are ready for human trials). But also I’m pretty sure it’s regulated what can be tested on different kinds of animals. The bar for testing on rodents is for example much lower than the bar for primates.

        • gheesh@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          7
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          7 months ago

          Medical research? These poor creatures will end up being test subjects for cosmetics, tobacco, pollution,… You know, just so the people who pay know how much a living being (i.e. your future self) can take before collapsing. Implying most (or even a significant portion) of them are for “finding a cure for cancer” is PR washing.

    • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      10
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      7 months ago

      Animal testing is legal, yes. This was a private company breaking the law.

      The fine against Envigo RMS LLC for animal cruelty is the largest fine ever issued 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,” Christopher Kavanaugh, the US attorney for the Western District of Virginia, said in a statement.

  • toiletobserver@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    29
    arrow-down
    11
    ·
    7 months ago

    Fuck that company for so many reasons. Chief among them, breeding a dog that barks and howls incessantly.

    • comador @lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      21
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      7 months ago

      I trained my beagle to do neither bark nor howl, but she whined incessantly lol. Point is, any dog can be trained at any age not to, so it’s the owners fault (most times as there are exceptions), not the dog’s.

    • BakerBagel@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      7 months ago

      Beagles are the primary breed for any sort of medical/drug testing. I have no idea why they use beagles specifically, but it’s the industry standard.

      • anon6789@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        7 months ago

        They’re well mannered and don’t take up much space is the answer in seeing in all the search results.

  • aeronmelon@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    18
    ·
    7 months ago

    c/upliftingnews

    Each one of those beagles is worth ten of that slimeball.

    Is there an animal offenders list we can add these monsters to so that they’re not even allowed to pet someone else’s dog for the rest of their life?

  • tsonfeir@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    10
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    7 months ago

    What on earth would a dog breeder need with 4,000 bagels?

    It’s always jolly holiday with lesdyxia.

  • PutItOutWithYourBootsTed@piefed.social
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    7 months ago

    Mixed thoughts on the outcome of this lawsuit. “Envigo’s parent company, Inotiv, has agreed to pay the record eight-figure settlement. It has also agreed to not breed dogs for the next five years.” Like, how about a permanent ban? Five years, are you kidding me? Better than nothing, but cummon.

    I’m glad that a portion of the money fined will go towards the activists actually rehabilitating/rehoming these beagles. “The agreement calls for the company to pay $22m to the US government, as well as pay approximately $1.1m to the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force and approximately $1.9m to the Humane Society of the United States for their help rescuing the beagles.”

  • bluewing@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    7 months ago

    Let me check article - Yep, the East Coast where puppy mills run rampant.

    • bazus1@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      23
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      7 months ago

      Get a load of this reformed beagle-eater here. Good on you for stopping eating dog, but most of us don’t share that life-challenge.

    • TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      16
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      7 months ago

      I think that’s somewhat of a pedantic place to draw a line in the sand. I could just as correctly claim that if you aren’t committed to civil disobedience and are still paying taxes, then you are part of the problem. You are vegan, but you’re still supporting a government that spends hundreds of millions of dollars perpetuating animal cruelty on a daily basis?

      Just because you aren’t vegan doesn’t mean you can’t believe that animals should be treated in a more ethical manner. Veganism is a imperfect human construct filled with internal contradictions based on western interpretation of ethics and cultural mores.

      • Riven@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        7 months ago

        I bet that person also buys products that are either based on stuff that has had animal testing or actively does it. Bet they’re vaccinated.

    • Crackhappy@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      7 months ago

      I have never been persuaded to loathe myself as much as I am now, after reading your comment. Thank you.

    • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      11
      arrow-down
      7
      ·
      7 months ago

      It’s insane how colonial veganism has become. It’s quite possible to be thankful to the animals and plants that give their lives to sustain you and quite eurocentric to view those two positions as incompatible.

        • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          7
          arrow-down
          4
          ·
          7 months ago

          It is extremely awesome that you read “some cultures treat meat consumption differently” and replied, “you’re wrong” without any further comprehension of that difference. That is an excellent demonstration of how bull headed colonizers can be when pushing an agenda.

          • Sizzler@slrpnk.net
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            5
            arrow-down
            10
            ·
            edit-2
            7 months ago

            It’s excellent to see how proudly you wear that chip on your shoulder. You are wrong, and me pointing out there are 250 million Indians who are vegan shows how wrong you are. Lose the hate, get with the program.

            3 animal abusers are upset lol.

            • ASeriesOfPoorChoices@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              3
              arrow-down
              3
              ·
              7 months ago

              based on your posts, you’ve convinced me to shoot squirrels with a pellet gun all afternoon.

              it won’t kill them, not quickly. But I figure making a couple dozen animals suffer and die a slow death in my neighbour’s yard will create a nice balance.

    • kandoh@reddthat.com
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      7 months ago

      You’re right, it’s just so hard because it’s all I’ve known and it’s everywhere around me 😔

    • ealoe@ani.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      7 months ago

      Ok show me the plant I can use to test how drugs interact with living cells to determine their mechanisms of action in the human body, I’ll wait. You’d better not be taking any pills or going to the doctor ever after putting this shit take on the internet, because every drug product in use today has been tested on animals, with good reason. We need to know how this shit works, and I don’t see your ass lining up to be a test subject so we’re using a dog or rat or monkey.

    • NoIWontPickAName@kbin.earth
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      9
      arrow-down
      8
      ·
      7 months ago

      When steak stops tasting good, or they finally nail lab grown meat at a low enough cost, maybe I’ll join you.