Camp Beagle and the growing call to end the suffering at MBR Acres

This week marks a pivotal moment in one of the UK’s most determined animal justice campaigns.

For nearly four years, a quiet but powerful protest has been taking place outside MBR Acres, a facility in Cambridgeshire that breeds beagles for use in laboratory experiments.

Since the summer of 2021, a dedicated group of activists and animal advocates has maintained a presence outside the gates, sleeping in tents, bearing witness, and calling for an end to the commodification and suffering of our animal kin inside.

This is Camp Beagle, and they’re building a movement.

A petition, a protest, and a parliamentary debate

On February 14^th 2025, Camp Beagle launched a petition calling for an immediate ban on the use of dogs in testing for scientific and regulatory purposes. Almost 200,000 people added their signature within a week.

The response was so overwhelming that it triggered a parliamentary debate, which took place on Monday 28^th April.

While the outcome was unfortunately that the government does not agree with a proposed immediate ban, there was acknowledgement that there is a need for a clear timeline or roadmap to end the use of dogs in scientific testing.

Calls for a ban are strengthening. In recent surveys, around 72% of the British public have said that they want “a binding and timetabled plan developed to phase out the use of all animals in experiments”.

On Saturday 26^th April, coinciding with World Day for Laboratory Animals, hundreds of campaigners gathered at MBR Acres to protest once more. Families, individuals, and long-time activists stood shoulder to shoulder, some carrying banners reading “Stop the Torture” and “Free the MBR Beagles.”

The message from the crowd was clear: this must end.

Just two days later, activists gathered in Parliament Square to listen to the parliamentary debate and raise awareness about the use of dogs in animal testing. (You can find pictures, videos, and more from this event on the Camp Beagle Facebook page).

What happens at MBR Acres?

MBR Acres, located in Huntingdon, is owned by the US-based company Marshall BioResources. The facility keeps and breeds approximately 2,000 beagles each year specifically for use in laboratory testing, particularly in toxicology studies and so-called “safety” research.

The Understanding Animal Research website claims that dogs are used in medical research because they are physiologically similar to humans.

Beagles make up about 95% to 99% of the dogs used for scientific and regulatory testing. In reality, they are chosen not because they are biologically ideal, but because they are small, trusting, and compliant. In other words, the qualities that make them such good companions and family members are the reason they’re exploited, adding an extra layer of cruelty to their fate.

While many details remain hidden behind closed doors, parliamentary debates occasionally shed light on what life, and death, looks like for these dogs. During the debate on 28^th April 2025, Irene Campbell, Labour MP for North Ayrshire and Arran, described one such study:

“Beagles were used in a study conducted by AstraZeneca to test a new, more eco-friendly propellant for use in inhalers. The tests lasted up to 39 weeks and involved 72 beagles. The dogs were restrained by a tether and forced to inhale the gas for two hours each day through a mask fitted over their nose and mouth, which was held in place by a muzzle… The dogs went without water for at least 18 hours each day. At the end of the study, all the dogs were killed so that their tissues could be dissected for further study.”

Although the research aimed to reduce environmental harm, Campbell pointed out that inhalers contribute only a small fraction of global hydrofluoroalkane emissions, raising the painful and pointed question: Was that treatment of the dogs really justified?

This is just one example, but for the dogs bred at MBR Acres, this is not an anomaly, it’s the system. A system that sees living beings not as individuals with a right to life and dignity, but as data points. As tools.

And that is what Camp Beagle is fighting to change.

A peaceful resistance rooted in love and solidarity

Camp Beagle is a grassroots protest group (the longest running of its kind) that began in July 2021 as a small but vocal response to this reality. Since then, the camp has evolved into a hub of peaceful resistance.

Activists have remained on-site through all seasons, often living in harsh conditions, to make sure that what happens inside MBR Acres isn’t forgotten or hidden away. They hold vigils. They bear witness. They support one another and the thousands of dogs bred to live and die in laboratories.

Their commitment is grounded not in outrage alone, but in a deep love for our fellow animals, and a refusal to accept that suffering should be the price of scientific curiosity or corporate profit.

Camp Beagle maintains a 24/7, year-round presence outside what they call ‘the Gates of Hell’, combining this with outreach, government petitions and extensive use of social media to grow public pressure to end the use of dogs in scientific testing.

Activism from Animal Rising

While Camp Beagle focuses on bearing witness and public pressure, other groups have taken direct action.

In 2022, Animal Rising activists liberated 23 beagles from MPR Acres, rescuing them from a life of laboratory testing. The activists were arrested and charged. Their upcoming trial, beginning on 1^st December 2025, could put not just the activists, but the ethics of testing on animals itself, on public trial. Many feel it could be a turning point, and it will certainly amplify Camp Beagle’s message.

What’s the bigger picture?

Every year in the UK, over 2.7 million procedures are carried out on our fellow animals in laboratories. These include mice, rats, monkeys, rabbits, and yes, dogs.

Typically, statistics talk about the number of procedures carried out rather than the number of individuals who are used for testing. The RSPCA estimates that 100 million of our animal kin are used in testing and research worldwide per year, including approximately three million in the UK.

The scientific community increasingly acknowledges that animal testing is often ineffective, even dangerous, due to differences between species. In 2004, the FDA estimated that 92% of drugs that pass preclinical tests, including “pivotal” animal tests, fail to proceed to the market. More recent data suggests this figure could be closer to 96%.

Alternatives, such as human cell cultures, organ-on-a-chip technologies, and AI modelling, are not only more ethical, but they’re also often more accurate.

So why, in 2025, are we still breeding beagles for this purpose?

Perhaps because the system was built without their voices, without their consent, and without enough scrutiny from the public.

That is why campaigns like Camp Beagle matter so much.

What you can do

You don’t need to camp outside a laboratory to make a difference (though if you feel called to, you’d be welcomed). Here are some ways you can support the movement:

• Watch the parliamentary debate and share it widely
• Sign and share the petition, if you haven’t already
• Write to your MP and ask them to speak up for the beagles
• Support cruelty-free research and products by checking certifications
• Follow and support groups like Camp Beagle, Beagle Freedom Project UK, Animal Free Research UK, and other anti-vivisection organisations
• Talk about it – sometimes change starts with just one honest conversation

A moment of hope and a test of will

This could be a turning point. The parliamentary debate, the surge in public awareness, and the brave, unwavering presence of Camp Beagle have brought this hidden cruelty into the light.

But history shows us that change doesn’t come easily, especially when it threatens profit or tradition. It comes through persistence, compassion, and collective courage.

Let’s stand with the dogs behind the gates. Let’s imagine a world where no one is bred for harm. Let’s help Camp Beagle turn this moment into a movement.

Learn more and stay updated at thecampbeagle.com