A company that bred Beagles for research will pay more than $35 million after pleading guilty last month to violating the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) by neglecting thousands of dogs at its Cumberland, Virginia, breeding facility. The payment includes the largest ever fine in an animal welfare case.

On June 3, Indiana-based Envigo pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of conspiring to knowingly violate the AWA, and one felony count of conspiring to knowingly violate the Clean Water Act.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Envigo will serve from three to five years of probation. Envigo's parent company, Inotiv, agreed to pay $22 million in criminal fines-or $11 million per violation, representing the largest-ever Justice Department fine in an AWA case-plus an additional $13.5 million to support animal welfare and environmental projects, cover law enforcement expenses, and improve its own facilities.

Nearly two years after 4,000 Beagles were rescued from a breeding facility in Virginia, the company responsible, Inotiv, parent company of Envigo, has agreed to pay $35 million in fines. This Beagle was photographed during a 2022 undercover investigation into the Indiana toxicology laboratory rub by Inotiv. (Photo courtesy of the Humane Society of the United States)

Envigo will also be subject to increased animal care standards and a compliance monitor, who will supervise its compliance with heightened animal welfare standards, a nationwide compliance plan, and additional terms of the agreements.

The Justice Department's criminal and civil investigations into Envigo began after the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) inspectors documented more than 60 violations of animal welfare laws between July 2021 and March 2022 at the Class A dog breeding facility in Virginia.

More than half were deemed "direct" or "critical" violations. Concerns included dangerous wire flooring, failing to provide veterinary care, unsanitary conditions, euthanizing dogs without anesthesia, and failing to document the cause of death for hundreds of puppies.

In May 2022, the Justice Department executed a search warrant at the facility. The complaint alleged the company wasn't meeting the AWA's minimum standards for handling, housing, feeding, watering, sanitation, and adequate veterinary care, among other requirements.

Additionally, court documents say Envigo violated the Clean Water Act by failing to properly operate and maintain the facility's wastewater treatment plant resulting in large amounts of insufficiently treated wastewater illegally dumped into a local waterway. The company settled civil charges alleging it had shown a "disregard" for the dogs' welfare and agreed to forfeit the more than 4,000 Beagles onsite in June 2022. Envigo agreed to close the facility and closed in September 2022. The company is one of the major suppliers of laboratory animals in the United States.

"Envigo's violations of the Clean Water Act and the Animal Welfare Act directly resulted in the contamination of a local waterway, negatively impacting the health and wellbeing of the community, and the horrible suffering of over 4,000 Beagles. This precedent-setting case emphasizes the power of collaboration between local, state, and federal authorities," said Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares in a press release.

"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," said Inotiv in a statement of contrition. "In resolving this matter, we renew our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of animal care."

Sentencing is scheduled for October 7. The USDA's Office of Inspector General and Environmental Protection Agency's Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case.

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