Heartbreaking new footage shows beagle puppy being trained to inhale toxins
The footage was reportedly recorded at Marshall BioResources in North Rose, New York, where up to 22,000 dogs - mostly beagles - are being bred for animal experimentation.
Credit: PETA
New York-based laboratory supplier Marshall BioResources confines as many as 22,000 dogs at any given time. These animals are sold to federal agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and laboratories worldwide for use in laboratory experiments.
Marshall also breeds ferrets, cats, minipigs, and other animals to be sold to laboratories. They are also the largest ferret breeder in the world, selling them to retailers like Petco, as well as experimentation facilities.
Now, shocking new footage, reportedly filmed at Marshall BioResources, reveals beagles wearing tight-fitting masks —similar to the inhalation masks dogs are forced to wear in chemical testing—covering their snouts.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which received footage from the facility, shared a clip of a beagle puppy struggling with a mask on social media, stating, “He’s being trained to wear a mask so Marshall BioResources can charge more money for him. Once he’s sold to experimenters he’ll be forced to inhale toxic substances.
“This factory farm, nestled in the quiet community of North Rose, New York, hides its cruel operations behind unassuming walls,” the post continues, “The animals who are imprisoned there suffer long before they reach laboratories; they live in terrible conditions, facing disease and neglect.
“Could you imagine if your dog were in this situation?” PETA asks.
In response to the footage, PETA is urging Marshall BioResources’ customers to examine their business ties with the company. Universities that purchase animals from the puppy mill include Case Western Reserve University, Genentech. University of Guelph, University of Prince Eduward Island.
“No decent company would buy beagles from this filthy mass breeder,” said PETA Vice President Dr. Alka Chandna. “PETA calls on companies and universities to reconsider their relationship with this cruel operation and switch to superior animal-free research methods that leave dogs and other animals in peace.”
According to the Humane Society of America, about 44,000 dogs on average are used annually in animal experimentation in the US.
Marshall BioResources charges a premium for dogs that it claims have been “trained” to wear inhalation masks to make it easier for experimenters to test aerosol chemicals. However, in letters sent to the breeder’s customers, PETA states that the dogs have experienced “learned helplessness,” rather than true training. The beagles, who struggle to remove the masks, ultimately realize that they cannot do so and give up.
Beagles forced to wear inhalation masks at Marshall BioResources. Credit: www.thecampbeagle.com
Multiple animal welfare violations
Marshall BioResources has been cited by federal authorities for multiple animal welfare violations, including keeping dogs and ferrets in filthy cages and failing to provide adequate veterinary care. In June, PETA reported whistleblower photos to the U.S. Department of Agriculture showing beagles and ferrets in cages filled with feces and dirty food and water containers.
In 2022, the facility experienced a canine distemper outbreak that infected 250,000 ferrets and spread bacterial infections among cats and pigs, likely worsened by overcrowded conditions. Major pet store chains report that Marshall BioResources has also shipped “acutely sick and dying” animals across the U.S. and Canada.
More than 4,000 Species Unite supporters are calling on pet shop retailers PetSmart, Petco, Chewy.com to drop Marshall Pet Products, a partner company of Marshall BioResources.
“This company uses and abuses animals for financial gain and then turns around and sells toys, food, and animal care products through their partner company Marshall Pet Products,” reads the petition. “When the cruelty of Marshall BioResources was first exposed some companies like overstock.com did the right thing and dropped their pet products immediately but the other major retailers of pet products have failed to take action.”
‘Bad science’
Despite The National Institute of Health (NIH) spending $12 billion every year on tests, the NIH admits that 95 percent of animal tests fail to translate to humans. Put simply, what may work in mice, simply doesn’t work or cannot be recreated in humans. Anti-vivisection scientists stated in the British Medical Journal that “even the most promising findings from animal research often fail in human trials and are rarely adopted into clinical practice.”
Thankfully, there is progress being made. Modern alternatives to animal testing can produce more reliable, more precise and less expensive results. Progressive scientists are using a variety of new methods, including “advanced microchips that use real human cells and tissues to construct fully functioning postage stamp-size organs”.
Please join us in asking PetSmart, Petco, Chewy.com to follow the example of other ethical companies and do the right thing by dropping Marshall Pet Products. Sign the petition here to help us reach our goal of 10,000 signatures.
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