Inside MBR Acres

Inside MBR Acres: What Happens Behind the Gates

MBR Acres is a closed facility. Its gates are locked, its perimeter is fenced, and the law — specifically Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 — makes it a criminal offence for inspectors to disclose what they find during visits. For these reasons, independent verification of conditions inside MBR Acres is extremely difficult. What we know comes from whistleblower testimony, covert footage submitted to authorities, and the documented characteristics of facilities of this type.

The Physical Environment

The beagles at MBR Acres are kept in windowless industrial sheds. There is no natural light. There is no outdoor access. The breeding females — the mothers of the puppies sold to laboratories — spend their entire lives inside these buildings. The flooring is concrete, with minimal enrichment.

Dogs are highly social animals with complex behavioural and psychological needs. Beagles in particular are an active breed that requires significant exercise and mental stimulation. The environment described at MBR Acres is incompatible with meeting those needs.

Weekend Attendance

Whistleblower evidence indicates that dogs at MBR Acres are left unattended for periods of up to 20 to 23 hours at weekends. This means that for extended periods, sick, injured, or distressed animals may have no human contact and no access to veterinary attention.

The “Puppy Death Roll” at Sixteen Weeks

At approximately sixteen weeks old, puppies at MBR Acres are sold to client laboratories. This is the point at which they leave the only environment they have ever known, are loaded into transport vehicles operated by Impex Services International, and are delivered to facilities such as Labcorp UK in Huntingdon, Charles River Laboratories, and Sequani.

The dogs are used in toxicology and pharmaceutical testing. At the end of those experiments, they are killed. None are rehomed.

The Terminal Bleeding Licence

MBR Acres holds a “terminal bleeding” licence from the Home Office. This authorises the facility to carry out a procedure in which dogs are bled until death, with the blood collected as a product. This is a separate procedure from the sale of dogs to laboratories for experiments — it means that dogs may be killed at MBR Acres itself, not only at the destination laboratories.

Whistleblower Evidence

Whistleblower testimony and covert footage documenting conditions at MBR Acres have been submitted to the relevant authorities. Camp Beagle has supported whistleblowers and campaigned for their protection. The secrecy provisions of Section 24 of ASPA make it extraordinarily difficult for those with direct knowledge of conditions inside the facility to speak publicly without risk of criminal prosecution.

The footage and testimony that has been made public shows conditions consistent with the characterisation above: concrete-floored sheds, no outdoor access, no natural light, and dogs showing behavioural signs of stress and distress.

The Legal Framework That Allows This

Dogs at MBR Acres are not protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Section 58(1) of ASPA exempts them from its provisions. The Home Office licences the facility and is responsible for monitoring it — the same body that grants permission is the body that polices compliance. And Section 24 of ASPA prevents inspectors from disclosing what they find.

For a full explanation of the legal framework, see the The Law Explained page.