CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The embattled Virginia dog-breeding facility that earlier this year was ordered to cease selling dogs avoided further censure Monday, as a federal judge ordered the company and U.S. attorney to come to an agreement to re-house the beagles held there.
Envigo has been the subject of massive scrutiny since it was first reported in November 2021 that the facility was keeping dogs in filthy and dangerous conditions, leading to a federal investigation that revealed a number of potential violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
In court today, the United States requested an injunction that would have required Envigo to improve conditions at the facility within seven days and would have stopped them from selling beagles until they comply with previous court orders.
“Envigo should not be profiting from these animals while they are not in compliance with the law,” a U.S. attorney said.
The request for injunction also includes allegations that violations of the Animal Welfare Act have continued since the court-ordered Envigo to cease breeding operation in late May.
The proposed injunction would still have allowed Envigo to put the beagles up for adoption or turn them over to non-profits, but representatives of Envigo said they wanted to continue selling the dogs to fulfill pre-existing contracts, arguing it would be the quickest way to move the dogs out of the facility.
Envigo, they said “has repeatedly expressed to counsel for the United States its willingness to close its Cumberland, Virginia facility” once the dogs are no longer held there.
“Permitting Envigo to remove dogs from the facility by fulfilling existing contractual commitments,” they wrote. “Would allow Envigo to transfer more than 500 dogs to new homes within the next 30 days.”
