The Truth About MBR Acres
Everything on this page is sourced from publicly available records, court documents, parliamentary questions, and verified reports. These are facts, not opinions.
MBR Acres — Sawtry Way (B1090), Wyton, Cambridgeshire PE28 2DTThe facility. Hidden behind hedgerows in rural Cambridgeshire. Up to 2,000 beagle puppies a year are reported to be bred here for sale to laboratories.
MBR Acres: The Facility
Owner
Marshall BioResources (Marshall Farm Group Ltd, USA), through MBR Acres Ltd, which took over the Wyton site in January 2018.
Location
Sawtry Way (B1090), Wyton, Cambridgeshire, PE28 2DT. Hidden behind hedgerows in rural Cambridgeshire.
Purpose
Breeds beagles to sell to laboratories for animal testing: up to 2,000 a year, as widely reported, sold at around sixteen weeks old. These dogs are born to suffer.
Regulated Behind Closed Doors
Licensed by the Home Office’s Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU). The public has no right to inspect or verify animal welfare inside.
The Bleeding Licence
During the open rescue trials, the prosecution conceded a critical fact: MBR Acres holds a licence to bleed dogs under terminal anaesthesia.
This means that in addition to breeding beagles for sale to laboratories, MBR Acres is licensed to carry out procedures on dogs that involve bleeding them while under anaesthesia from which they do not recover. This fact is now part of the court record.
The public was never told. It took a criminal trial for this information to emerge.
The Green Hill Connection
Green Hill, Brescia, Italy
The same group, Marshall BioResources, owned Green Hill in Montichiari, Brescia, Italy. In July 2012 prosecutors seized it and its beagles after years of protest and complaints. It never reopened.
Two Juries Said Not Guilty
Trial 2 — Cambridge, 12 January 2026
Four rescuers stood trial at Cambridge Crown Court over the December 2022 rescue. The jury unanimously returned not guilty on all burglary charges.
Trial 4 — Peterborough, 9 March 2026
Five rescuers faced the same charges. After more than two weeks of trial and three days of deliberation, the jury again returned not guilty. Two juries agreed: rescue is not dishonest.
Public Opposition
Public Backing
The campaign has the public support of Dame Joanna Lumley, Chris Packham, Jonathan Ross, Amanda Holden, Will Young, Peter Egan, Megan McCubbin, and Meg Mathews, among others. Chris Packham provided a character reference at the Peterborough trial.
Lush Prize 2026
Camp Beagle — the longest-running grassroots protest at MBR Acres, and an allied campaign — was commended in the Public Awareness category of the 2026 Lush Prize, awarded in London in May 2026 from a £250,000 fund for work to end animal testing. We celebrate their work and are proud to stand alongside them.
Where the Beagles Go
MBR Acres breeds. It does not test. The dogs are sold at around sixteen weeks of age to contract research organisations -- the laboratories that carry out toxicity testing for pharmaceutical, chemical and consumer goods companies. The named customers in public reporting include:
Charles River
US-headquartered contract research giant. Operates UK and European facilities. Documented destination of MBR Acres beagle puppies, including a delivery run observed leaving Wyton in February 2026.
Labcorp
One of the largest contract research organisations in the world. Carries out regulatory toxicity testing on dogs at UK and overseas sites. Named customer of MBR Acres in industry reporting.
Sequani
UK-based contract research organisation in Ledbury, Herefordshire. Carries out regulatory repeat-dose toxicity testing on beagles. Named customer in parliamentary briefings on MBR Acres.
Why this matters
MBR Acres exists because customers buy. The customers exist because pharmaceutical, chemical and consumer goods companies still commission animal toxicity testing, often when modern non-animal methods would do the same job. Pressure on the customer chain is pressure on MBR Acres.
Modern Alternatives Exist
Animal testing is not a scientific necessity. Modern technology provides better, more reliable alternatives.
Organ-on-a-Chip
Microfluidic devices using actual human cells to simulate organ function. More accurate than animal models.
AI Modelling
Machine learning predicts drug toxicity from molecular structure, trained on human data -- not animal experiments.
Advanced Cell Cultures
3D organoids grown from human stem cells provide human-relevant data that animal models cannot replicate.
UK Animal Testing Statistics
The UK is one of Europe's largest users of animals in research: 2.54 million procedures in Great Britain in 2025 (Home Office).
Dogs are specially protected under UK law -- yet still used in testing. Beagles are chosen for their docile, trusting nature.
Despite public opposition and proven alternatives, dog use rose 9% in 2025, to 2,889 experimental procedures (Home Office, July 2026).
Timeline of Key Events
Green Hill Seized in Italy
Brescia prosecutors seize Green Hill, the beagle farm in Montichiari run by Marshall BioResources' Italian arm. Around 3,000 beagles are placed with the charities LAV and Legambiente and rehomed.
Green Hill Staff Convicted
The Court of Brescia convicts three senior Green Hill staff of animal abuse and unnecessary killing of animals. Trial evidence recorded 6,023 dog deaths in 2008–2012. Upheld on appeal in 2016; final in October 2017.
Marshall Takes Over Wyton
MBR Acres Ltd, a Marshall BioResources subsidiary, takes over the long-established beagle-breeding site at Wyton, Cambridgeshire, from previous owners including Harlan Laboratories (High Court record, 2021).
MBR Acres at Full Capacity
Wyton site reaches full capacity: up to 2,000 beagle puppies reported bred each year for laboratories.
Camp Beagle Established
A continuous protest camp, Camp Beagle, is established at the gates of MBR Acres. It is still there in 2026.
Petition Passes 100,000 Signatures
A parliamentary e-petition on the commercial breeding of animals for laboratories passes 100,000 signatures (around 102,000 in all), so it must be considered for debate.
23 Beagles Taken in Two Open Rescues
Five beagles are taken from MBR Acres in June 2022 and eighteen puppies on 20 December 2022, both openly. Two of the eighteen, Love and Libby, were intercepted by police and returned to MBR Acres.
Westminster Hall Debate
MPs debate the e-petition on commercial breeding of animals for laboratories in Westminster Hall.
Companies Sever Ties
Multiple companies cut ties with MBR Acres following sustained public pressure.
Petitions Pass 500,000 Signatures
Petitions across multiple platforms collectively pass 500,000 signatures.
Ridglan Agrees to Surrender Its Licence
To avoid prosecution, Ridglan Farms in Wisconsin agrees with a court-appointed special prosecutor to surrender its state licence to sell dogs, effective 1 July 2026.
Trial 1 -- Five Convicted
Cambridge Crown Court: five defendants convicted of burglary after a 12-day trial. Suspended sentences and a conditional discharge; no custody.
Trial 2 -- First Ever Acquittal
Cambridge Crown Court: four defendants unanimously acquitted. The first not guilty verdict for an open rescue of laboratory animals in UK history.
Trial 3 -- Four Convicted
Peterborough Crown Court: four defendants convicted after a 7-day trial and about five hours of deliberation.
Trial 4 -- Five Acquitted
Peterborough Crown Court: five defendants acquitted after more than two weeks of trial and three days of deliberation. Chris Packham provided a character reference.
Trial 5 -- Three Convicted
Cambridge Crown Court: three defendants convicted by a 10-2 majority over the June 2022 rescue of five beagles. The prosecution conceded MBR Acres holds a licence to bleed dogs under terminal anaesthesia.
Ridglan Farms Action -- Wisconsin
More than 1,000 activists converged on Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, many trying to enter and remove the dogs. Dane County Sheriff's deputies used tear gas, pepper spray and less-lethal rounds; 29 people were arrested.
Westminster Hall Debate
Petition #736578 (121,854 signatures when it closed) debated in Westminster Hall, with Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Green and Independent MPs taking part. The Huntingdon MP, Ben Obese-Jecty, said that given the volume of correspondence he had received about conditions at MBR Acres, it was 'not unreasonable to say that the two perspectives do not tally' when set against the regulator's audit. The Minister of State responded by re-citing the November 2025 strategy document MPs had just criticised for lacking statutory targets.
Ridglan Agrees to Release 1,500 Beagles
Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy secure the release of about 1,500 of Ridglan's beagles to rescue, with Beagle Freedom Project taking 500. The House Appropriations Committee approved an amendment directing USDA to review breeder licences where state licensure has been lost, with cross-party support from Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Derrick Van Orden (R-WI).
Ridglan Closes For Good
Big Dog Ranch Rescue announces a deal for Ridglan Farms' permanent closure and the transfer of its remaining 475 beagles, bringing the total rescued from Ridglan to more than 2,100. Its licence surrender took effect on 1 July 2026. The closest US equivalent to MBR Acres has been emptied and shut down by sustained public pressure, a court-appointed prosecutor, federal pressure and rescues who refused to walk away. The model now has a precedent.
Go Deeper
The full case, in detail. Each of these stands on its own.
In short
MBR Acres: the questions
What is MBR Acres?
Who owns MBR Acres?
How many beagles does MBR Acres breed?
Where do MBR Acres beagles go?
What is the MBR Acres bleeding licence?
Have people been prosecuted for rescuing beagles from MBR Acres?
How many beagles were rescued from MBR Acres?
Do the public support testing on dogs?
The Evidence Is Clear
The facts speak for themselves. Now it is time to act.
From the Movement
The people, the dogs, the action. As more imagery comes in, this strip grows with it.