A Virginia company that bred beagles in deplorable conditions was recently ordered to pay $35 million for violations of the Animal Cruelty Act and federal environmental statutes. That’s a record punishment for these offenses and yet somehow feels inadequate for the harm inflicted.
Virginia has subsequently tightened its laws regarding animal cruelty, improvements that should empower investigators in the future — and inspire other states, including Florida, to take action. Tougher rules and record fines should keep such a horror from unfolding again.
A horrifying sight
Two years ago, federal authorities raided a breeding facility in Cumberland County, about 50 miles west of Richmond, operated by Envigo, a global biotechnical company that provides animals for medical and veterinary research.
Inspectors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture had cited the facility before, and it was subject to an undercover investigation by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the animal rights organization headquartered in Norfolk. But what they found was shocking.
About 4,000 beagles were living in squalid conditions. They were given rancid food, though widespread malnourishment suggests they weren’t fed much at all. They were dehydrated. Their cages were covered with waste and the temperature of the living space wasn’t regulated.
Many were injured. Hundreds were dead.
The dogs were being raised and used for medical testing. But the humane treatment of animals bred for such use is still mandated by law, and the company operating that Virginia facility repeatedly and egregiously violated it.
A cry for action
The dogs’ misery captured the hearts of people throughout Virginia and around the world. The animals were released by authorities to adoption agencies and people lined up to adopt or to offer financial support.
Anyone who’s adopted a rescue dog knows they can come with heavy baggage. Some have survived unthinkable conditions, making them fearful, skittish and slow to trust. With an abundance of love and patience, however, they can become a treasured part of their new families, their gratitude evident in each tail wag.
In the years since they were freed, many of the so-called Envigo beagles have been placed in loving homes with attentive, caring families. They are well fed, free to play and enrich the lives of those who opened their hearts to welcome four-legged friends in need.
The dogs’ grim story also belatedly rallied state lawmakers to action. Prior to the beagles’ rescue but after the facilities’ violations were publicized, Virginia’s General Assembly unanimously passed several bills that gave state inspectors oversight of breeding facilities and mandated that repeated violations of animal welfare laws would result in shutdowns.
“This historic package of bills I signed today clarifies that dogs and cats bred and sold for experimental purposes are protected by Virginia’s cruelty-to-animals law, will help ensure welfare standards and save lives, and will give Virginia the authority to take action when welfare violations occur,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin said at the signing ceremony.
Too late for some
While that marked a milestone achievement, it followed considerable foot-dragging. These bills came before the legislature several times before Envigo’s facility made passing them politically and morally necessary.
The hang-up? Envigo was breeding dogs for medical research. The legislation asked the General Assembly to balance the value of medical advancement against more muscular enforcement of laws protecting the welfare of the animals.
Lawmakers had favored medical research, but that came at a tremendous cost. These dogs were treated with indifference, warehoused as expendable products, and discarded when they died. Authorities could have, and should have, intervened sooner.
The new laws will ensure Virginia can do so in the future. And the penalties Envigo and its parent company Inotiv face — a $22 million criminal penalty, $7 million for environmental restoration, $1 million each to two animal welfare groups and millions more for facility upgrades and additional hiring to provide care — should deter other violators.
That represents important progress and, along with the Envigo beagles living happy lives far away from tiny cages, it helps salvage some good from this tragedy.
This editorial was adapted from one published by the The VIrginian Pilot. The Sentinel often adapts editorials that reflect our overall point of view. The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. Contact us at insight@orlandosentinel.com