Animal Breeder Pleads Guilty to Animal Welfare and Pollution Crimes and Will Pay More than $35M, Including Record Fine in an Animal Welfare Case

Envigo RMS LLC pleaded guilty  to conspiring to knowingly violate the Animal Welfare Act, and Envigo Global Services Inc. pleaded guilty to a felony of conspiring to knowingly violate the Clean Water Act. Both pleas are in relation to a dog breeding facility located in Cumberland County, Virginia, from which the Justice Department secured the surrender of over 4,000 beagles in 2022.

As part of the resolution, Inotiv — of which Envigo RMS and Envigo Global Services are subsidiaries — will guarantee more than $35 million in payments, be subject to increased animal care standards and be subject to a compliance monitor. This resolution marks the largest ever fine in an Animal Welfare Act case.

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Animal Breeder Pleads Guilty to Animal Welfare and Pollution Crimes and Will Pay More than $35M, Including Record Fine in an Animal Welfare Case

Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim Remarks on Animal Breeder Pleading Guilty to Animal Welfare and Pollution Crimes