Current:Home > ScamsCompany linked to 4,000 rescued beagles forced to pay $35M in fines-InfoLens
Company linked to 4,000 rescued beagles forced to pay $35M in fines
View Date:2024-12-23 15:00:05
An Indianapolis-based company pleaded guilty to animal welfare and water pollution crimes at a now-shuttered dog-breeding facility in Virginia where, two years ago, the U.S. Department of Justice ordered the surrender of more than 4,000 beagles that would have been sold to laboratories for drug experiments.
Envigo RMS, owned by Inotiv, reached an agreement with the Justice Department that has the company paying more than $35 million in fines — the largest ever fine in an Animal Welfare Act case, the DOJ announced Monday. Inotiv will be subject to increased animal care standards and a compliance monitor, according to the resolution.
Envigo RMS was an animal testing facility based in Cumberland, Virginia, that the Department of Agriculture said in an inspection report had more than 300 puppy deaths the facility didn't investigate further. The department added Envigo also didn't try to prevent future losses. In June 2022, a U.S. District Court judge issued a restraining order and Inotiv announced the facility's closure.
Life after testing lab:'Welcome to freedom': Beagles rescued from animal testing lab in US get new lease on life in Canada
Inotiv, which acquiredEnvigo RMS in 2021, is a research organization geared toward bringing drugs and medical devices through various testing phases, according to the company’s website.
“Today’s agreement will allow us to comprehensively resolve this matter, bringing to an end uncertainty around the investigation,” Inotiv said in a statement on its website. “Inotiv’s top priority has always been — and remains — practicing appropriate standards of animal welfare for our animals, while supporting the scientific objectives of the studies conducted.”
The DOJ said Envigo RMS prioritized profits over following the law.
From 2022:Last group of nearly 4,000 beagles rescued from Virginia facility breeding them for experiments
According to the DOJ release, Envigo RMS conspired to knowingly violate the Animal Welfare Act by failing to provide adequate veterinary care, staffing and safe living conditions for the beagles housed at its facility. The rescued beagles were made available for adoption.
“Even in those instances of animals being bred for scientific and medical research purposes, they still must be provided with safe and sanitary living conditions,” Charmeka Parker, special agent in charge of the Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, said in the DOJ release.
The company also conspired to knowingly violate the Clean Water Act by failing to properly operate and maintain the wastewater treatment plant at its facility, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This led to massive unlawful discharges of insufficiently treated wastewater into a local waterway, negatively impacting the health and well-being of the community, as well as the dogs.
“Everyone victimized in this precedent-setting animal welfare case deserved better: the workers, the beagles, the environment and the community,” David M. Uhlmann, assistant administrator of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, said Monday. “Envigo deserves every dollar of its record fine.”
As part agreement and record-setting payments, $22 million in criminal fines are to be paid over four years. The companies will also pay at least $7 million to improve their facilities beyond the standards of the Animal Welfare Act. Additional funding will go to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Humane Society of the United States and the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force.
Contact reporter Sarah Bowman by email at [email protected]. Follow her on X:@IndyStarSarah.
IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
veryGood! (93368)
Related
- SNL's Chloe Fineman Says Rude Elon Musk Made Her Burst Into Tears as Show Host
- Grand Ole Opry Responds to Backlash Over Elle King's Dolly Parton Tribute Performance
- If you donate DNA, what should scientists give in return? A 'pathbreaking' new model
- Bishop Gene Robinson on why God called me out of the closet
- High-scoring night in NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo explodes for 59, Victor Wembanyama for 50
- Jordan Love’s promising debut season as Packers starter ends with big mistakes vs. 49ers
- Across Germany, anti-far right protests draw hundreds of thousands - in Munich, too many for safety
- Feds look to drastically cut recreational target shooting within Arizona’s Sonoran Desert monument
- Chris Evans Shares Thoughts on Starting a Family With Wife Alba Baptista
- Second tropical cyclone in 2 months expected to hit northern Australia coast
Ranking
- Democratic state leaders prepare for a tougher time countering Trump in his second term
- Adrián Beltré is a Hall of Fame lock. How close to unanimous will it be?
- Trump celebrates DeSantis’ decision to drop out, ending a bitter feud that defined the 2024 campaign
- Gaza doctor describes conditions inside his overwhelmed hospital as Israeli forces advance
- Advocacy group sues Tennessee over racial requirements for medical boards
- 4 Las Vegas high school students indicted on murder charges in deadly beating of schoolmate
- Elderly couple, disabled son die in house fire in Galveston, Texas
- Retrial set to begin for man who fatally shot ex-Saints star after traffic collision
Recommendation
-
Manhattan rooftop fire sends plumes of dark smoke into skyline
-
Haley to launch ad targeting Trump's handling of North Korea relationship and hostage Otto Warmbier
-
Houthi rebels launch missile attack on yet another U.S.-owned commercial ship, Pentagon says
-
Andrew Cuomo sues New York attorney general for documents in sexual misconduct investigation
-
Tesla Cybertruck modifications upgrade EV to a sci-fi police vehicle
-
Party at a short-term rental near Houston turns deadly overnight
-
Russia oil depot hit by Ukrainian drone in flames as Ukraine steps up attacks ahead of war's 2-year mark
-
Young ski jumpers take flight at country’s oldest ski club in New Hampshire