A jury at Peterborough Crown Court cleared five individuals of burglary after they rescued 18 beagle puppies from MBR Acres, a facility breeding dogs for the animal testing industry at Wyton near Huntingdon. Among those acquitted was Rose Patterson, Director of Animal Rising, who received character testimony from naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham.
The trial, which ended yesterday (Monday) and was the fourth in a series of cases concerning the rescue of animals from MBR Acres, concluded with historic not-guilty verdicts for Patterson, John Sasportas, Jennifer D’Netto, Dev Vyas, and Andrew Houghton.
The defendants admitted to their roles in the December 2022 rescue but successfully argued their actions were not “dishonest” under the Theft Act 1968, establishing a potential legal benchmark for future cases involving animal rescues.
“The jury decided that rescuing puppies from cruelty is not a crime,” said Rose Patterson. “We are a nation of animal lovers… But my thoughts are with the beagles still trapped there, still being bred, still being bled, and still dying in concrete cages.”
Public and celebrity support amplifies pressure on MBR Acres
The verdict comes amid mounting public and political condemnation of MBR Acres. Over 170,000 people signed petitions calling for the closure of the facility, while dozens of MPs and celebrities, including Dame Joanna Lumley and Jonathan Ross, co-signed an open letter urging the Home Secretary to intervene.
Chris Packham praised Patterson, stating: “Rose’s honesty in a world where so many would rather deceive themselves is frankly heroic… We must continue to call for the closure of MBR Acres. It is a blight on our nation’s character and conscience.”
MBR Acres under scrutiny amid international precedents
MBR Acres, the UK’s only commercial dog breeding site for laboratory testing, has faced public scrutiny for years.
About Animal Rising
Animal Rising, led by Patterson, is a direct action and advocacy group that has staged high-profile campaigns, including:
- Blockading McDonald’s distribution centres in 2021
- Rescuing beagle puppies in 2022
- Delaying the Grand National race in 2023
- Rescuing lambs from royal farms in 2023
- Conducting the UK’s largest undercover farm investigation in 2024
The case marks a milestone in animal activism law, with the fifth trial for a June 2022 dog rescue scheduled for March 16th at Cambridge Crown Court.
