HSUS undercover investigation shows beagles being poisoned with pesticides and drugs, killed at animal testing lab
A worker at Charles Rivers Laboratories holds Harvey in her lap as she waits for the euthanasia technician to take him into the necropsy area. Harvey was used in a study sponsored by Paredox Therapeutics. Photo by the HSUS
It’s the kind of video no dog lover would ever wish to see, but we are releasing it today because it’s important for you to know just what goes on at laboratories across the United States where dogs are poisoned – and killed – for pesticide and pharmaceutical products and other purposes each year. We are also sharing this video because we need your help to get 36 dogs out of a testing facility where they are now being force-fed a fungicide every day.
In the video, recorded as part of an undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States, you’ll see Harvey, a beagle with soft, brown eyes, being taken out of his stainless-steel cage at the Charles River Laboratories in Michigan, where he was being used with 21 other dogs for a study. Dogs in laboratories that test on animals are usually numbered, not named, but Harvey (number 1016) was an exception because laboratory workers thought he was “a good boy” and stood out as friendly and “adorable.”
Subsequently, you see Harvey with a big surgical scar: his chest was opened and two chemical substances were poured into it. When another beagle from the same study is being carried to a room for euthanasia, one of the lab workers remarks, “He’s gonna die.”
That beagle, Harvey, and the 20 others did die. On the day Harvey was euthanized, he was let out of his cage for a few minutes to run around on the floor — that day was “the best life he knew,” one lab employee observed.
And it was no different for most of the other dogs who were part of that test, sponsored by Paredox Therapeutics. Our investigator, who spent nearly 100 days at the facility, documented the dogs cowering, frightened, in their cages with surgical scars and implanted with large devices. Dogs being force-fed or infused with drugs, pesticides and other products, using crude methods, many that are unlikely to ever be used in humans. Dogs undergoing invasive surgeries or having their jaws broken to test dental implants. Dogs being used by workers to practice procedures like force feeding and blood collection.
Treating companion animals like this is unthinkable to most of us, and it would be illegal in any other situation. But the U.S. government not only sanctions these tests, many of its agencies either require them or carry out such testing themselves. For example, the Food and Drug Administration requests that companies provide numerous animal tests, including on dogs, as part of their drug approval process. In addition to toxicity testing, many other agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, either carry out biomedical research on dogs (such as cardiac research) or provide funding for experiments to be carried out at other facilities.
This hound was surgically implanted with a drug delivery device for a study sponsored by Above and Beyond NB, LLC of Atlanta. Photo by the HSUS
According to the most recent reports, approximately 60,000 dogs are used in testing and research in the United States each year, with an additional 6,500 dogs reported as being held in laboratories but not yet used. The Michigan lab alone used thousands of beagles and hounds last year in testing for companies seeking federal approval for potentially poisonous products, like pharmaceuticals and pesticides (fungicides). Harvey and the other dogs who were at the lab during our investigation were bought from two major breeders, Marshall BioResources and Covance Research, which sell specifically to laboratories. Marshall had 22,000 dogs at its facility in New York at the time of a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection in 2018. Beagles are most commonly used in research because of their docile nature.
The Charles River Laboratories now has 36 beagles in its facility for a pesticide test commissioned by Dow AgroSciences (now known as Corteva), and we need your help to get those beagles out.
The test, which involves force-feeding the dogs with various doses of a fungicide each day for a full year, has been universally deemed as unnecessary, including by Dow scientists. Dow itself has actively advocated for eliminating this test in numerous countries, and we have been grateful for Dow’s work in the past. When we reached out to the company, we were told the test is required in Brazil. The country has taken steps to remove the one-year dog test from its pesticide requirements, but the changes haven’t been formally adopted yet. When Humane Society International swiftly contacted Brazilian regulatory authorities, we received a response that they were readily granting waiver requests from companies to forego this test. Dow asked for a more formal assurance from Brazil to end the dog study already underway, which HSI obtained, but Dow’s regulatory affairs division now says they need additional confirmation that their specific pesticide product will be approved without the dog study results before ending the study.
Our discussions with Dow have hit an impasse and meanwhile, time is running out for the Dow beagles. Unless we act fast, these 36 dogs will likely die for a test that is not needed.
It is too late to help Harvey and the other dogs seen during our investigation. But with your help, we can make a difference for these 36 dogs still at Charles River. Please join us in asking Dow to immediately end the test and release the beagles to us. We will work on getting them placed into loving homes, even as we continue to work toward the day when invasive testing on dogs becomes a thing of the past.
Ask Dow to immediately release the 36 beagles
*Editor’s note: Since the release of our investigation, the University of Vermont has denied ties to the horrific experiments performed by Paredox on dogs. We apologize for inadvertently misrepresenting its involvement by stating that the university gave money to Paredox and have changed the language in the blog accordingly.
Horrific!
Just HORRIBLE how tjese poor dogs are abused…
Please stop the barbaric practice of testing on animals. There are scientific equivalents to the tests, where animal use is not necessary.
All life is precious. Please stop 🙁 This unnecessary cruelty treatment to animals . Have some compassion.
Can you please post the info as to where we can write, email, etc to help save these dogs? We have 2 rescued beagles at home that were from animal testing. We would be happy to help
There is a link at the end of the article you can sign the petition.
Is there anything else that we can do ?
these people should be ashamed of themselves…how do they sleep
I OhSo AGREE with you & glad you posted this. The enablers show that they have no misgivings & have no feelings for being advocates to cruelty & mistreatment of these non defense victims of horrific treatments 👿.
Hell hath no fury
wish more people would stand up to animal abuse.
Hell hath no fury😡
wish more people would stand up to animal abuse.
👼🏽💕
My thoughts exactly!!! How can anyone possibly be part of something so heartless to these animals! I’m disgusted that anyone could hold a helpless, innocent animal and do the horrific things they do to them!!! Shame On Them!! One day they will have to take accountability for their actions!!!
These tests are no longer needed. Stop the tests and save the dogs slated for testing.
There are no words for how awful this is. 😥
There is absolutely no reason to test on animals anymore. We have evolved and now have to move on to a more compassionate world. Please help lead the way.
Please stop this cruelty!!
THIS SUCKS GET THEM RELEASED HUMANE SOCIETY NO MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE DEMAND THE RELEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please stop this now!
Disgusting. How about testing on death row inmates and lifetime prisoners? Also, how do they get away with this abuse now that abuse is a felony? Forcing dogs and other animals into harmful experiences intentionally is abuse.
I so agree!
This was March, 2019. It’s too late for these dogs😭😡😭. Do you know if it is still occuring or has it shut down testing?
It is still occurring all over the place! One of the best ways to start acting on it is for EVERYONE to stop using products tested on animals! cruelty cutter app is a free app that allows people to scan products to see if they are in face cruelty free!
Cant we pickett and protest these companies and get it on the news outlets?
Please stop and open your heart look into their eyes
Watching videos of such horrific cruelty of precious beagle dogs tore my heart out!! What kind of disgusting humans think this is acceptable in ANY way! Faucci is a horrible excuse for a human!!!!
Thank u for this info! I will use this to check any products before I purchase.
Great idea!!
This needs to stop..how do those employees go home at night….
This is horrible. We need to shut down all animal testing!
Totally wrong and cruel!
How do they sleep at night? I hope these dogs come to them in their nightmares. Dogs & Horses helped build this country. All this for pesticides?
How can our government support such cruel and painful tortures such as these…I cried reading and watching this. What is wrong with our country to be ok with this treatment?
How can we stop this!! It’s horrible!! Inhumane🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
This is horrible!
Just the petition I dont buy products that use animal testing it is so unnecessary and inhumane to the humans and the animals
Horrifying and beyond monstrous. Whether it is rats, bunnies, or dogs, animal testing needs to end. I do my share by contributing monetarily and spreading the word. I hope others do, too.
This is horrible !!!! This needs to stop. Those poor animals.
This will not end because of all the corruption involved in animal testing unfortunately. These labs count on huge government funding. These people are despicable that work there. Most of these tests are not necessary it’s been proven.
I wish this could end for good, but even if they stop it, it will be moved to other countries just to get that almighty dollar! This just turns my stomach!
Animal testing is BS! It is completely ridiculous and appalling! It just makes me SO angry! It makes me dislike DOW even more than I did in the first place. DOW is not only torturing animals…they pollute the air and dump chemicals in the environment. It is an organization with no morals…Nothing but greed! And shame on you Charles River Labs!
I AGREE WENDY. THIS IS SICKENING
I do not use any pesticides! We cannot support these chambers of horror! There is NO need for these inhumane tests on poor innocent animals! Let these billion dollar industries know you will not patronize them. Tell Dow you will NEVER buy any of their products. Ask them to have compassion and release the beagles NOW 😢
THIS MUST STOP NOW!
Stop torturing these dogs. You are poor excuse of a human being. Shame on you.
enough is enough test after test the same damn test over and over again, this has to stop this is the most ridiculous shit I have ever realized was actually happening, what kind of people would want to be involved with such a thing. If you want to test medicine and poison try it on the lifers that are sitting in prison not worthy of room and board or even a meal for what some of them have done. And obviously pesticide are poisonous products are dangerous and there is NO NEED for this, it isn’t about the TAX payers money to me it is PURELY what is being done to animals. TIME TO STOP THIS SICKENING MADNESS. I bet if anyone involved really told there children and family what they did for a living it would NOT be acceptable to them either, tell the truth you lying fools, most of them probably own a dog or some kind of animal. How do you live with your self, your judgement will come. God help everyone of you pathetic FOOLS!!!!!!!!
How DO you live with yourself????!!! My GOD, you are horrible people!! What POSSIBLE good do you believe you are doing? SCIENTISTS, you call yourselves!!! All you are interested in, is $$$$$$$. You are monsters!!!
I agree!!
Dow and all companies…YOU MUST STOP THIS BARBERIC UNNECESSARY ANIMAL TESTING!! THIS IS HORRIFIC AND EVIL!! Absolutely NO need for this. Just stop!!! Please!! Test on prisoners not innocent animals.
How do these people live with themselves doing this to these poor animals day in and day out?
Heartbreaking and inhumane, must end and save these poor dogs.
This is absolutely disgusting!! How can anyone feel good about themselves after treating animals like this!!!
This is unnecessary, cruel and inhumane. Man’s best friend, tortured. I want to say much, much more and put down what I really think however I’m sure it wouldn’t be allowed.
Stop this cruel experimentation now ! There is no need for this inhumane practice!
STOP THE MADNESS!
What is wrong with you people?
STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Simply disgusting and unnecessary! All for chemicals
Exactly!!! What is testing them on dogs going to prove???
Of course this must stop. I was particularly horrified that at one point they had 22,000 dogs. I hope the workers will find the courage to quit their jobs rather than torture dogs. Better to live under a bridge than earn your living by daily cruelty.
Disgusting! Like humans don’t already know not to consume this crap! My heart hurts for these poor pups! How do you people sleep at night!
Please stop this is wrong and cruel.
This makes my heart hurt! How can they let this happen to those poor innocent dogs.
Nonsense!
These inhuman tests must be stopped immediately and the dogs released.
Shame on Dow; shame on anyone who works in such a torturous manner with these defenseless animals each day. Animal testing MUST come to an end.
Some one needs to stop this.Why isn’t anyone doing anything.People who abuse animals get prison time…..what makes these people any different.Because they have MONEY…..animal abuse is animal abuse….arrest them shut them down and stop this immediately…..why are you waiting.??!!
How does anyone want to work in these places? EVIL
this is insane cruelty to innocent animals
What can be done to help stop this horrific practice? Products should be identified and boycotted.
I feel sick. Stop this now! These poor defenseless pups!
For the love of God, STOP THIS NOW!!!
This is barbaric and I will never use any product tested on animals.
This is so sick and disgusting!! and has really upset me!!! Its got to stop NOW
Please stop this. Its beyond cruel.these poor dogs!!!
Stop! Please stop hurting animals… None of this is necessary.
You ARE the animals Dow corp. Again it’s about the almighty dollar at the expense of the poor defenseless creatures that can not speak for themselves, Shame on you and your company. I will not support DOW and their products. Just horrible to watch this happen.
Stop this !
Disgusting that this type of thing is being done still!!
This is absolutely cruel and no need to test on ANY animals, especially sweet innocent dogs 😡 There has to be a STOP put to this immediately.
This has to stop. Replace the dogs with politicans and make it a movie to entertain us.
AMEN WILLIAM, THAT’S THE BEST DAMN ADVICE ONE COULD GIVE. KUDOS TO YOU!!!
How can I help more?
This is horrifying! Dow Chemical has chosen to continue this testing to satisfy Brazilian regulatory authorities. They do have a choice, they have chosen profit over life. This makes me sick.
Stop the abuse!!!! How about you let us use you as a test subject!!! This is so sad and painful!!! Let these dogs run free!!! What kind of human can do this and watch the suffering!! Let us SAVE these dogs !!
I’m trying to find the page to sign the petion but no luck . I say let’s put those d## scum in cages test on them !!!! I have a service dog and would take a bullet for him any day BELIEVE ME… also I went to humane society .org but can’t find where to sign the petition.
Here’s the link to the petition — it’s at the bottom of the page. Thanks. https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=7598&s_src=blog_post_031319_id10466_031219_id10457
I’ve signed the petition – what else can I do to help? Do you have a list of Dow products to boycott that I can share on social media? How can we contact the Brazilian organization behind this nightmare? Why isn’t lab testing illegal, since it causes needless suffering? I want to help.
Why is this still happening
The breeders need to be put out of business as well. There are laws against animal abuse and people are punished for it. Why are these companies allowed to abuse these animals? Of course the answer is money like everything else in our society. I disagree with the people who say they should test on prisoners. No human or animal should be subjected to such cruelty. Our own government has tested on the military, African Americans, mentally ill people etc. We have to learn from the past and not repeat it. Animal testing needs to be banned outright.
Please, STOP this horrible, unhumane animal testing!!!!!who gave you rights take those poor dogs lives? Who are you? Evil people with no mercy, you are doing evil job!!!! How dare you call yourselves humans? How can you work in place like this one? Shame on all of you. STOP, STOP, STOP
You guys are pathetic. Believe that humans aren’t the same as animals yet this happens for human purposes and so called “cures”. This needs to stop!
If we all start boycotting there products maybe this barbaric treatment of animals will stop. I will never buy another one of their products again. These people are the animals. How can they look themselves in the mirror each day and continue this outrageous treatment of innocent animals. They should all be fined and jailed for animal abuse. Just a disgusting company.
Please end this horrible practice with mans best friend and release these dogs.
Horrific, sad, pitiful, unconscionable cruelty. You can do better for these helpless animals. Put a stop to this right away. Every life matters more than chemicals or greed. You make more than the dogs deathly ill. Boycott them and spread this knowledge for change.
Is there a protest scheduled for March 17th at Charles River?
This is absolutely horrible! There has to be some other way to test these things without harming animals. why not test ot on themselves first and see how it goes? Then maybe they will see how cruel this is to do to any animal and they’ll stop! How horrible these people are!
Here is a link to contact DOW with your opinion that these beagles should be released immediately to HSUS https://www.dow.com/en-us/contact
Dear God I hope it is true that this has stopped. This is unthinkable and this should NEVER happen to any animal anywhere! Animal testing is never needed! If this has stopped please I need to know to get some kind of peace about these poor Beagles and other animals finally being rescued . How can they even begin to justify this kind of insanity. HOW? All I can do is cry when I see this and I cannot stand it I can’t stop thinking of it..the suffering……..oh my God in Heaven why?
Totally agree with you! Don’t know if you’ve seen videos of exactly what’s going on with the horrific cruelty towards innocent beagles can’t believe humans can actually be this disgusting is horrifying to say the least saw video online cried my eyes out for these poor sweet beagles😭many stopped using shampoos, face cream & so many other products being tested on innocent dogs!! Pray Americans say NO MORE CRUELTY !
l. This has to stop. They should be ashamed of them selfs.
I havd signed the petition where can i get one of these to rescue
I will never ever ever buy a dow chemical product again> we must put these labs out of business> they are so disgusting .
I feel the same way. I won’t buy Dow products either. Anything we can do to stop this is what I want. If we all stopped using Dow products maybe that would help.
Special place in hell? Indubitably. See Dante’s “Divine Comedy”, Inferno section, if you will, and Bosch’s rendering of same and be creative. IMO, the torment/abuse of these dogs and ALL non- human animals on Earth is down there with the abuse of ALL children, women, and men on Earth, of a piece. Shame (and worse) on those guilty of the two. And, yes, I am a vegetarian of 35, or so, years duration.
I think it is great that more organizations are agreeing to stop all testing on animals. I wish a lot of the animals that have already suffered could have been saved from all their suffering but thanks to organizations like HSUS things are changing. Animals should only know love, not cruelty. This breakthrough is only because of all the hard work the HSUS has done and never quitting until success was achieved. Hopefully, more places will follow until testing on animals is a thing of the past.
Ok this was back in March of 2019 can someone tell me what’s been done? Or has anything been done I’ve not seen anything on the new did I miss this. Miss Block can you inform me about these sweet dogs this has had me so up set,.
Please stop testing on dogs. I can’t stop crying and thinking of everything they do to them. I will never buy any of those products. I want these laboratories to be shut down for good. I will put this on my prayers!!
People who do this. Nazi germany 1933
Put on what people really think
WHERE WHERE WHERE??????????????? CAN WE WRITE SO WE MAY ALL REQUEST/DEMAND THIS HORRIFIC UNNECESARY PSYCHOTIC TESTING STOPS!!!!!!
PLEASEEEEEE LET US KNOW WHEREEEEE??????????? THANK YOU !!!!!!
i’m only 10 but this is torture. i love animals please stop this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This made me so upset and angry I cried for hours. I wish there was something else I could do other that just sign the petition. I want to see the people responsible punished and the dogs rescued and taken care of. This makes me so sick 😭😩
I understand the reality of having to test on an animal before people but WHY on dogs and not just on rats and similar animals. This is disgraceful especially with Beagles that are bread to love and serve people.
This is heartbreaking 💔 and sad, and cruel. This is not necessary at ALL! These poor dogs die for no reason. Please put an end to this 🥺 😢
I hope ALL the people who do these horrific acts to these poor, innocent dogs get the same treatment done to them. I cannot imagine ANYONE willing to do these things to dogs.
I hope they get the karma they deserve…..HELL!!
Testing should only be done on beings who can speak, are rightfully willing, and understand the possible consequences that come with creating what ‘we’ want/need – what benefits us and only us! Humans were last here…don’t forget that.
I am absolutely disgusted that our government even allows this. Where is the human heart. The scientists need to go to jail/whoever else is involved with this.
I learned of this horrific treatment of innocent animals today in an email from a family member. He inferred that Dr. Fauci was responsible for the authorization of hundreds of thousands dollars for funding going to this “research”. Is that true? I assumed Dow would pay for it. I would hate to think that the government paid for this horror. I plan on publishing what I have learned about this on Facebook and any other site available.
They should stop doing lab experiences on animals I feel sorry about those 7 innocent beagle puppies I wish they would have been rescued
Just the thought of these animals having to be put through this and then thrown away like they are worthless is sickening. People always get what they deserve in time, when you treat something inhumanely it will come back to you twice as bad. I don’t feel sorry for people, I feel sorry for animals.
How do you people live with yourselves? I hope none of you have animals since you obviously don’t care about them. This is so horrific and I’m praying that all these animals will be set free.
Again, how can you do this? You must have no heart. To many people (myself included) these are their children. Would you do this to your child? I hope not because you would not have them for long. I would do anything to save these poor pups. This is so very wrong.
Omg! How those people sleep at night without having nightmares! Black heart of stone are the only people I can think of that would do this sort of HORRIFIC abuse on those fur babies. STOP testing on dogs this is so unhuman! All these labs make me sick! Why are we wasting tax money on torturing dogs. Of this was any other person doing this they would go to jail, what makes these people any different then anyone else. This is a crime!
Das ist so grauenvoll … das muss gestoppt werden … was sind das für Menschen, die Tieren soviel schmerzen und leid zufügen. Diese wunderbaren beagles schau in seine Augen … das ist so entsetzlich … die Menschen haben den Tieren die Hölle auf Erden gebracht … haben diese Menschen kein Herz für ein Tier … wir müssen helfen und das muss gestoppt werden mit den Grauenvollen versuchen …. Wie kann man Tieren soviel schmerzen und leid zufügen … einfach unfassbar grauenvoll .. irgendwann werden diese brutalen Menschen ihre Strafe bekommen … stop die Experimente an armen, hilflosen Tieren.
SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE AND IF THE LAW MAKERS WONT WE THE PEOPLE HAVE TO COME TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT A PLAN TO STOP THIS NOW!