Virginia dog breeder ordered to pay record $35M fine after 4K beagles rescued
June 3 (UPI) -- The company that once owned a dog breeding facility in Virginia has been ordered to pay a record $35 million fine after mistreating more than 4,000 beagles, according to the U.S. Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency on Monday.
Envigo Global Services Inc. of Cumberland County, which is 64 miles east of Richmond, pleaded guilty to violating the Animal Welfare Act and was ordered to pay a record fine under the act.
The company also pleaded guilty to knowingly violating the Clean Water Act. Sentencing is set for Oct. 7, and the news release didn't list individuals involved.
The beagles were surrendered in 2022 from the breeder.
The company has agreed to no longer breed or sell dogs there.
The Animal Welfare Act sets minimum standards of care for animals in captivity, used for research or educational settings, or sold to the public.
Envigo RMS, which is a subsidiary of Inotiv like Envigo Global Services, failed to provide adequate veterinary care, staffing and safe living conditions for dogs housed at the facility, according to the federal agencies.
Envigo Global Services also operated and maintained the wastewater treatment plant at the facility, "which led to massive unlawful discharges of insufficiently treated wastewater into a local waterway and also impacted the health and well-being of the dogs at the facility," according to DOJ.
"Envigo compounded the heartbreaking nature of its animal welfare crimes by committing egregious Clean Water Act violations that undermined public health and the wellbeing of the animals in their care," Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance said. "Everyone victimized in this precedent-setting animal welfare case deserved better: the workers, the beagles, the environment and the community. Envigo deserves every dollar of its record fine."
The entities will serve from three to five years of probation and pay a total criminal fine of $22 million -- $11 million for each violation.
Envigo also will pay approximately $1.1 million to the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force and about $1.9 million to the Humane Society of the United States for direct assistance provided to the investigation.
Also, $3.5 million will be paid to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to benefit and restore the environment and ecosystems in Cumberland County, at least $500,000 of which will be spent on purchasing riparian wetland or riparian land located in or near Cumberland, according to the department.
Envigo will spend at least $7 million to improve their facilities and personnel beyond the standards imposed by the Animal Welfare Act.
"Our nation's animal welfare and clean water laws exist to prevent suffering and harm," said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "That's why we secured the transfer of thousands of beagles from Envigo's Cumberland facility into adoption, and that's why today's plea agreement is so significant. The plea agreement includes the largest ever fine in an animal welfare case as well as heightened standards of care for facilities across the country."
Inotiv, which provides live animals and related products and services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, government, academia and other life science organizations in animal testing, The company issued a statement of contrition: "In committing the crimes identified in the charging document, and by not making the necessary infrastructure upgrades and hiring the 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. In resolving this matter, we renew our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of animal care, as well as to the communities and environments in which we operate. We hope that others will learn from our experience."
