High-Profile Campaign Demands Immediate Closure of Beagle Breeding Facility
Prominent celebrities including Amanda Holden, Dame Joanna Lumley, and Jonathan Ross have joined forces with cross-party MPs, peers, and animal rights organisations to demand the immediate closure of MBR Acres in Wyton, Cambridgeshire. This facility represents the United Kingdom's sole site dedicated to breeding dogs specifically for the animal testing industry.
Cross-Sector Support for Animal Welfare
The campaign has submitted a formal letter to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, urging the government to "let Britain lead the world into a future without animal testing" by shutting down the Wyton operation. Signatories also call for the safe rehoming of all beagles currently housed at the site, a measure strongly supported by the activist group Animal Rising.
This organisation has previously garnered attention through controversial actions, including so-called 'rescue missions' and the defacing of a portrait of King Charles III. The latest initiative follows years of sustained campaigning, with over 170,000 people having signed a petition advocating for the facility's closure.
Allegations Against MBR Acres
Activists allege that MBR Acres, which operates under a Home Office licence, is permitted to conduct procedures that involve bleeding healthy dogs to death by directly inserting needles into their hearts and surrounding blood vessels, with the additional authority to harvest their organs. The facility, owned by Marshall BioResources, reportedly breeds approximately 2,000 beagles annually for supply to universities and private laboratories worldwide for experimental research.
Opponents have maintained a continuous protest presence outside the site since 2021, known as 'Camp Beagle'. The campaign has attracted support from a diverse array of public figures beyond the initial celebrities, including BBC Springwatch presenter Chris Packham, Made In Chelsea's Lucy Watson, and former Blue Peter host Gail Porter.
Political Backing and Policy Context
Politicians endorsing the campaign include Labour MPs Rachael Maskell and Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Liberal Democrat peer Lord McNally, and former Green Party leader Siân Berry. The letter arrives amidst escalating calls for the government to honour its manifesto pledge from the 2024 general election to phase out animal testing in the UK.
Carla Denyer, Green Party MP for Bristol Central, highlighted contradictions in government policy, noting that while the Animal Welfare Strategy published in December recommitted to phasing out animal testing, amendments to the Public Order Act in February classified animal testing sites as 'Key National Infrastructure'.
"The charitable interpretation is that the government's left hand doesn't know what its right hand is doing," Ms Denyer stated, adding, "I hope the government sees that the route to regaining public support involves reversing this decision and closing down MBR Acres for good."
Historical Context of Opposition
Celebrity opposition to the facility is not new. In November 2021, singer Will Young handcuffed himself to the site's gate in a solo protest. That same year, actor and comedian Ricky Gervais called for an "immediate ban" on the testing centre, arguing that such experiments "entirely fail the search for human treatments and cures" and constitute "shocking animal cruelty" that hinders medical progress.
Rose Patterson, director of Animal Rising, emphasised the breadth of public support: "Dozens of public figures have added their voices to the open letter, and over 170,000 people have signed the petition to shut down MBR Acres. The British public is united on this and expects change at the highest level."
Government and Industry Response
A Government spokesperson defended the UK's regulatory framework, stating: "The UK has some of the world’s toughest rules to ensure animal testing happens only when it is genuinely needed and always under strict, licensed conditions." They pointed to the £75 million-funded Alternatives Strategy, developed with animal welfare organisations, which aims to phase out animal testing using safe, proven alternatives.
The strategy acknowledges that "some animal research will continue" due to the current maturity of alternatives, but commits to supporting "well justified and designed animal research where alternatives do not exist."
In a 2024 statement issued on behalf of MBR Acres by Understanding Animal Research, the facility asserted it operates "in full compliance with Home Office regulations and with our normal high welfare standards." The statement argued that opposing dog testing impedes the development of new treatments for diseases like cancer and heart disease, noting that veterinary treatments for pets have themselves been tested on dogs.
Legal Proceedings and Activist Actions
The campaign unfolds against a backdrop of ongoing legal cases. The fourth of five trials related to Animal Rising invasions and attempted rescues of beagle puppies from MBR Acres is currently proceeding. Previous trials have resulted in one acquittal and two convictions, with sentences ranging from conditional discharges to 18-month suspended sentences.
Animal Rising has a history of direct action. In June 2022, supporters rescued five beagles from the facility, though burglary charges were subsequently dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service. The group cancelled plans for a larger-scale 'open rescue' from RSPCA Assured farms in 2024 after warnings that such actions could distress animals and spread disease.
In a separate incident that summer, two activists defaced the King's first official portrait with Wallace and Gromit-inspired imagery to highlight their investigation into animal welfare on RSPCA farms. The painting, protected by Perspex, was not damaged.
Brian Leishman, Labour MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, summarised the campaigners' position: "Experiments on animals are not only cruel and morally wrong. They have also become completely needless and obsolete as we have seen developments in computer-based modelling and other lab-based testing models." He urged the Labour government to fulfil its promise to phase out animal testing rather than protecting such facilities as key infrastructure.
