The Open Rescue Trials

• 05:30Supporters of Animal Rebellion (now Animal Rising) entered the MBR Acres facility at Wyton, near Huntingdon. 18 people were later charged with burglary.
• RescueThey took 20 beagle puppies and got 18 of them away, in what became the UK's largest open rescue from an animal testing facility.
• InterceptedThe other two puppies, named Love and Libby, were recovered by police.
• 23 DecDespite a public petition, Love and Libby were returned to MBR Acres on 23 December 2022.
• PriorAn earlier rescue on 20 June 2022 had removed five beagles from the same facility. Burglary charges brought against 12 people at the time were later dropped by the CPS; three men were tried over it in March 2026 (trial 5 below).
• RehomedAll 23 rescued dogs were rehomed with families across the country.

Love & Libby

Love and Libby. Intercepted by police and returned to MBR Acres on 23 December 2022.

The beds that Love and Libby never got to sleep in

These beds were prepared by a foster family ready to give Love and Libby a home. They never arrived. MBR Acres has not said publicly what became of the two puppies after they were returned. Campaigners believe they were most likely destroyed, because animals that have had outside contact are generally treated as no longer fit for a controlled laboratory supply chain.

All defendants were charged with burglary under the Theft Act 1968 (section 9). Burglary of a building that is not a dwelling carries a maximum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment.

The central question before each jury was straightforward: was it dishonest?

The defence rested on honesty and moral belief. Each defendant gave evidence about the welfare conditions inside MBR Acres and the scientific validity of animal testing. They cited published research from the British Medical Journal and the Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics.

It was the first time the concept of “Open Rescue” had been tested before a UK jury.

Five separate trials were held across two Crown Courts: four over the December 2022 rescue (the 18 defendants were split into groups largely because no single dock could hold them) and one over the June 2022 rescue. The outcomes were split, with juries reaching starkly different conclusions on broadly the same facts.

Read the full Bleeding Licence analysis

While the first trial was running in December 2025, the Government was moving to add “life sciences infrastructure”, which covers animal testing facilities, to the list of “Key National Infrastructure” under section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023. The regulations came into force in February 2026.

Interfering with the use or operation of key national infrastructure is a specific criminal offence carrying up to 12 months' imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both. The High Court granted permission for a judicial review of the regulations in July 2026. The protest laws, explained.

In January 2026, the Labour government announced further changes to protest rules, tightening restrictions on direct action.

Five juries heard broadly the same facts. The outcomes split: two acquittals, threeconvictions, none of which led to immediate prison. Ordinary people, presented with the same evidence, did not reach the same verdict — which is itself the story.

This is a story about the jury system, public conscience, and the contested legitimacy of animal testing law in the United Kingdom.

The trials are over. The fight is not. Here is how you can help.