A petition that was started by Cambridgeshire animal rebellion group, Camp Beagle, is being debated in the House of Commons today (Monday, January 16).
The group regularly protest against the animal testing breeding facility, MBR Acres, in Wyton near Huntingdon and have held a 24/7 presence outside the gates of the facility for the last 18 months.
Owned by US-based company Marshall BioResources, the facility is often under the spotlight from animal rights activists.
Protests by the group throughout the last 18 months have sometimes included a celebrity presence.
Popstar Will Young travelled to MBR Acres to join Camp Beagle in 2021.
He handcuffed himself to the gates in a bid to hit out against cruel animal testing and held a poster in his hands reading “Cambridgeshire. Famous for beagle torture. Thanks to MBR.”
He spent an hour and a half at the protest but freed himself after a discussion with police officers.
Before leaving, he said: “I want to use my profile to help show what’s going on so people can do something about it.”
More recently, reality star Gemma Collins took to the social media platform TikTok earlier this month (January) to plead with her followers to sign the petition.
After educating herself more about the crisis, Gemma told her TikTok followers that she hasn’t been able to sleep at night after witnessing several “horrendous” and “vile” videos which showcase what the dogs go through at the breeding facility.
In the video, she said: “If you have a heart, you must sign this petition and save these beagles.
“What these animals go through – the testing and just the way they’re treated by humans is repulsive, it is sick.”
A spokesperson for Camp Beagle said: “We are thankful for our social media followers, celebrity/influencers backing and the national outreaches who got behind our petition and those who have lobbied their MPs.
“With their support, the petition smashed through the 100,000-signature barrier leading to this parliamentary debate.
“We invite people to join us from 2pm in Parliament Square. We have many speakers and our campaign ambassador, Scarlett Beagle, will be joining us.”
In December, the animal rebellion broke into MBR Acres in an attempt to free beagle puppies being held there.
Their petition asks for a new approach to methodologies and non-animal methods, an independent, advisory, specialist committee to be incorporated within the Home Office, and an animal testing use and project licence application process.
The group says action is needed now to actively push progress towards scientifically superior and cruelty-free testing methods.
Today’s debate at 4:30pm will discuss commercial breeding for laboratries.
MBR Acres breed animals, and supplies dogs to licensed laboratories or businesses for the purpose of animal testing and research. It says it is "dedicated to maintaining high standards of animal welfare".
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