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Exclusive: Will Young offers home for beagles held by police after they're taken from puppy breeding facility
23 December 2022, 15:22
Will Young offers to home beagles
Singer-songwriter Will Young says he'll drive to the police station where two beagles are being held, to take the dogs into his own home for Christmas.
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It comes after campaigners Animal Rebellion broke into a puppy breeding facility called MBR Acres, in Huntingdonshire, and left with 18 dogs. They handed themselves in to the police - who stopped two more dogs being removed.
The two puppies, which the protestors have now named Love and Libby, have been held by the police since Tuesday morning.
Cambridgeshire Police say: “We recognise the strong feelings this issue raises in many people and we are in contact with MBR, as the legal owners of the dogs, to discuss next steps.”
MBR Acres has come under fire for allegations over their practices - and for selling puppies to be used for animal testing.
A separate protest group, called Camp Beagle, are now spending their second Christmas living in temporary homes outside the facility, in order to raise awareness of their campaign to have the site shut down.
2002 Pop Idol winner Will Young says he’s now working with Parliament to make progress on animal welfare issues.
He tells me: “I believe in the public. I started my career, from believing in the public. I know the power of the public - and the power of public pressure.
“We are an animal loving country, we love our dogs.
“I’ve offered them my home, to rescue them. I’ve already spoken to the police and told them I’m quite prepared to drive up, now. I would end this interview and drive up now - and give them a home for Christmas.”
Will Young previously made headlines when he handcuffed himself to the front gates of the MBR Acres, to raise the profile of campaigns for the site to be closed.
Animal Rebellion said: “The overarching aim here is to end animal testing - is to end the unnecessary suffering and murder of these dogs and of all other animals that are tested on too.
“We know that there are brilliant alternatives to animal testing - really, really exciting options are out there.
“We hope that by doing these actions - and the people who freed the dogs, by handing themselves in - that they will be able to put animal testing on trial.
“They’ll be able to start a legal process where animal testing will be at the centre - and ask 12 ordinary members of public, whether the criminals here are the people who entered that facility and freed the dogs from conditions that absolutely anyone would want to, when they saw them.
“Or whether it’s the industry that breeds these dogs for the purpose of torture - and that then goes on to test them, when they really don’t need to.”
MBR Acres said: “Unfortunately, extremists, including long-time activists, are committing unlawful and dangerous activities each day against our business and staff.
"On top of this continuous harassment, today this has included breaking into the site and entering our buildings to steal our dogs for a second time this year.
"We are appalled by these actions.
"Dogs bred for research need careful rehabilitation not to be harmed by a sudden change to their environment.
"This unlawful extreme action has placed stress on our animals and staff by totally disrupting our daily activity to take care for the welfare of our dogs on site."
"In an advanced democracy we ask why we should tolerate daily harassment and such intimidation endured for such a long time now, when our goal is to produce the best healthy dogs to help research, find and validate new treatments to save human and animal lives.
"This is work required by the medicines regulator in the UK.
"We remain proud of what we do every day because our work allows the progress of medicine to improve - and often save - the lives of humans and animals.”
A petition has been launched with more than 30,000 signatures calling for Love and Libby's release to safe, loving homes.
