Envigo RMS, Envigo Global Services to Pay $35M for Animal Welfare, Pollution Crimes

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Envigo RMS LLC pleaded guilty today to conspiring to knowingly violate the Animal Welfare Act, and Envigo Global Services Inc. pleaded guilty to a felony of conspiring to knowingly violate the Clean Water Act.

Both pleas are in relation to a dog breeding facility located in Cumberland County, Virginia, from which the Justice Department secured the surrender of over 4,000 beagles in 2022. The pleas follow an investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia.

As part of the resolution, Inotiv — of which Envigo RMS and Envigo Global Services are subsidiaries — will guarantee more than $35 million in payments, be subject to increased animal care standards and be subject to a compliance monitor. This resolution marks the largest ever fine in an Animal Welfare Act case.

“Our nation’s animal welfare and clean water laws exist to prevent suffering and harm,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “That’s why we secured the transfer of thousands of beagles from Envigo’s Cumberland facility into adoption, and that’s why today’s plea agreement is so significant.”

U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia called Envigo’s actions “callous” and said the company prioritized profit and convenience over following the law. “The historic monetary penalties and significant compliance measures as part of these guilty pleas send a clear message: every company, in every industry, must have compliance and corporate responsibility as a critical part of their business model,” he said.

According to court documents, Envigo RMS conspired to knowingly violate the Animal Welfare Act by failing to provide adequate veterinary care, adequate staffing, and safe living conditions for dogs housed at the Cumberland County facility. Envigo Global Services conspired to knowingly violate the Clean Water Act by failing to properly operate and maintain the wastewater treatment plant at the Cumberland County facility, leading to massive unlawful discharges of insufficiently treated wastewater into a local waterway.

“The provisions of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) were designed to protect animals from any type of inhumane treatment,” said Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker of the Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General. “AWA violations remain an investigative priority for us, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and assist in the criminal prosecution of those who fail to adhere to the provisions of the AWA.”

Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance said, “Envigo compounded the heartbreaking nature of its animal welfare crimes by committing egregious Clean Water Act violations that undermined public health and the wellbeing of the animals in their care.”

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said, “Envigo’s violations of the Clean Water Act and the Animal Welfare Act directly resulted in the contamination of local waterway, negatively impacting the health and wellbeing of the community, and the horrible suffering of over 4,000 beagles.”