Hundreds of protestors gathered outside MBR Acres today (July 22) in sweltering heat to demand the Wyton-based puppy breeding facility is closed down.

The company, near Huntingdon, is owned by Marshall BioResources, is allegedly holding 2,000 beagles.

Free-the-beagles--Protest-against-medical-testing-on-dogs

The beagles are being reared at the MBR Acres site in Wyton, before being transported to laboratories at 16-weeks-old for medical research.

The Hunts Post: Police were at the protest todayPolice were at the protest today (Image: Archant)

Hundreds of animal welfare campaigners have been camping outside the company for weeks and are outraged that the facility is still open.

Read what the scientific community has to say here

John Curtin, 58, from Coventry, said: “I went to prison for 18 months for taking 82 beagles out of here and 26 rabbits in 1990.

The Hunts Post: John CurtinJohn Curtin (Image: Archant)

“My history with this place goes back a long time, when I found out about this protest taking place, I was depressed because I wasn’t sure whether I could come back here again.

“But I came back just for one night, 10 days ago and I met with some of the people here and I realised that something special was going on here.

The Hunts Post: Cages sat outside MBR AcresCages sat outside MBR Acres (Image: Archant)

“The facility are saying no and they mean it, it is like a Medieval siege, they wont let the dogs go."

The protestors have been camping outside the facility for weeks and John expressed that they feel passionately about this issue.

The Hunts Post: Puppy SignPuppy Sign (Image: Archant)

John said: “I have never experienced a campaign as successful as this, the campaign has received so much local support.

“People around here are angry that this place was hidden from them for 50 years, its here in plain sight.

"It is just a matter of time now."

The Hunts Post: Signage at the protestSignage at the protest (Image: Archant)

Police have confirmed that there have been no arrests, damages or injuries.

A police spokesperson said: “We have officers at the protest today who will be providing a proportionate policing response, balancing the needs and rights of protestors with those impacted by the protests.”

A spokesman for MBR said: “MBR is a specialist breeder of animals that are raised to be healthy, content and comfortable in a lab environment. It does not undertake regulatory toxicology or other experiments and has only animal care staff working on its sites.

"Expert opinion on why animals are needed in research should be sought from the medicines regulator and scientists or organisations working in this field.

"These experiments form a small but crucial part of a wide range of applications from ecology work to investigations into human and animal diseases including those that led directly to the vaccines and treatments for Covid-19, cancer drugs, pet medicines and products labelled as safe for pets.

"We are proud of the role we play in supporting human and animal health regardless of the misconceptions of campaigners.”