US breeder Envigo pleads guilty for mistreating beagles, gets largest-ever fine
WASHINGTON -Research animal breeder Envigo pleaded guilty to animal welfare and environmental crimes on Monday, resolving a two-year U.S. Justice Department probe into its mistreatment of thousands of beagles, a department official said.
Envigo made headlines in 2022 when it forfeited some 4,000 beagles, some of which were adopted by celebrities including Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. It pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act and one felony count of conspiring to violate the Clean Water Act, after it refused to fix its wastewater treatment equipment and allowed excess animal feces to be discharged into a nearby creek.
The guilty plea over the Clean Water Act violation could lead the Environmental Protection Agency to debar Envigo as a federal contractor. Problems included dangerous flooring, failing to provide veterinary care, unsanitary conditions, euthanizing dogs without anesthesia, under-feeding mothers nursing puppies and failing to document the cause of death for hundreds of puppies.
The company ceased operations at the Cumberland facility on Jan. 24 and is no longer breeding or selling dogs.Prosecutors also said the company conspired with others to avoid spending money to upgrade its wastewater system, while it continued to breed and sell beagles despite being unable to manage the waste disposal.
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