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Camp Beagle: Hundreds rally to protest Cambs dog breeding and animal cruelty

Around 500 animal rights activists gathered in London today (August 28) to protest animal cruelty, bringing traffic to a halt in the city.

Animal rights protesters from Animal Rebellion, an offshoot of climate change group Extinction Rebellion, Camp Beagle, a group calling for the release of beagle dogs from a Cambridgeshire breeding facility, and other groups gathered outside Smithfield Market in Farringdon.

They held a rally for speeches before marching through the city and stopping at Blackfriars station, the offices of food company Unilever and other businesses in the city.

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Activists held banners and signs saying ‘Unite for Animal Justice’, ‘Free the MBR Beagles’ and ‘Meat is Murder’.

Protesters stood against the MBR Acres site in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, where beagles are bred for medical and veterinary research.

The PA news agency reported that a member of Animal Rebellion told the crowd that Unilever contacted their group after their campaign, which was met with cheers.

Speeches were held, the event lasted about 20 minutes and hundreds of people gathered to protest the breeding of dogs for animal research.

The Metropolitan Police tweeted that there was a blockage at Blackfriars Bridge due to protesters and it was resolved shortly after.

Protesters then staged a sit-in outside the offices of Cargill, an agricultural company, on nearby Queen Victoria Street.

MBR Acres, owned by the American company Marshall BioResources, has already been put in the spotlight by Camp Beagle.

The protest group has already traveled to MBR Acres in a bid to end testing of some 2,000 beagle puppies.

On July 22, protesters staged an all-day protest outside the beagle’s breeding ground.

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Man and woman arrested following investigation into illegal dog breeding

A Darlington man and woman have been arrested following an investigation into illegal dog breeding.

The two suspects were arrested last week in the Firthmoor area of ​​Darlington on suspicion of money laundering, breeding without a license and fraud by false representation.

They were questioned by officers and have since been released under investigation to allow further investigation.

Read more: Darlington man behind bars after spate of burglaries in town

The arrests follow a joint investigation, carried out by Durham County Council’s Trading Standards team with the support of Durham Police.

Sergeant James Woodcock, of the Darlington Neighborhood Police Team, said: “It has become clear that organized crime and criminals are using dog breeding to generate wealth and support other illegal activities.

“Breeding without a license not only raises animal welfare concerns, but the lack of regulation can also fund dog theft as new animals are needed to meet demand.

“I urge people in Darlington to research where they buy animals from and follow the advice of the RSPCA and other animal placement charities.”

Durham Constabulary confirmed on Wednesday August 11 that inquiries are continuing.

Joanne Waller, Durham County Council’s Community Protective Services Manager, said: ‘We are working with our partners to continue to tackle illegal dog farming across the county and raise awareness of the problem.



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“It’s really important that people know who they’re buying a dog from.

“Choosing a responsible, licensed breeder will increase your chances of owning a happy, healthy dog.

“I therefore encourage everyone to do their homework before agreeing to buy a puppy, or considering rehoming a dog through charity to provide them with a loving home.”

An animal activity license is required for anyone who operates a breeding establishment (including private homes) for dogs that meets the following conditions:

  • If in a 12 month period their dogs give birth to three or more litters whether or not they are in the business of breeding and selling dogs.
  • Anyone “in the business” of breeding and selling dogs must be licensed regardless of the number of litters they have in a 12 month period.

A license is also required for someone selling puppies as a business, regardless of the number of litters they have per year. The commercial test is income over £1000 where they clearly advertise puppies for sale (either themselves or through proxy sellers).

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