2011 - HARLAN LABORATORIES

'Born to Die' is a horrific exposé released by NAVA in July 2011, covering the testimonial of a former employee of the company who worked inside the beagle units at Harlan Laboratories in Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire.

The report gave the first insight in eleven years into the breeding of dogs for research laboratories in Britain, revealing harrowing facts on the treatment of beagles by the company. Photographic evidence and video footage accompanying the expose backed up claims that animals were bred in filthy and barren kennel units with little, if any, stimulation.

Specific allegations shed light on incidents of cruelty, such as senior employees kicking and punching dogs during training sessions in correct animal handling techniques. Staff were also reported as shaving obscene language into beagles' fur and drawing on them with marker pens. We revealed how those making formal complaints within the company were simply marked as 'trouble makers' instead of animal welfare concerns being addressed.

"One of the trainers went into a pen and held down a dog with his knee. He was kicking the dog while he held it down to try and subdue it. Then he started punching it and then he held it up by the throat and said to it: 'So are you going to stop'?" - Ex-Employee's Testimonial

Instances of fighting amongst the dogs were reported due to minimal socialisation and boredom. It was revealed how the beagles at the sites were let out of kennels for as little as twenty minutes each week.

NAVA hit national headlines with this damning exposé, reaching millions of people across the UK and dismissing myths of high standards in animal welfare for research animals. Public calls to shut the breeding facility then became focused and NAVA confirmed that the beagle units at the Hillcrest facility in Leicestershire would indeed be winding down operations with a view of closure by the end of 2011.

 

.