Dog and cat experiments at MSD Animal Health
A Cruelty Free International investigation in 2013 uncovered the shocking use of very young puppies and kittens in animal experiments in a UK laboratory.
The eight month investigation was carried out at an MSD Animal Health laboratory. It revealed that animals as young as 4 weeks to 6 months old were being used in research for animal vaccines.
After being used in animal experiments, the puppies and kittens were killed and their bodies cut up. Our undercover video graphically shows the pitiful plight of these very young animals, including puppies becoming distressed and crying out during the taking of blood and lethal injections.
WARNING video contains footage that some viewers may find upsetting
Our findings
Tests carried out on puppies as young as 4 weeks and kittens as young as 8 weeks old.
The routine killing of puppies from 5 weeks of age and kittens less than 6 months old.
Puppies taken away from their mothers, some at just 4 weeks of age, to be used in tests.
The killing of healthy female adult beagles, who no longer served a purpose once their puppies were taken away for tests.
A lack of effort to find homes for those adult and puppy beagles who were ‘no longer required’.
WARNING image gallery contains graphic images that some viewers may find upsetting
Bonnie and Billie, 3 and 6 year old pregnant beagles, were transported from Holland to the laboratory in August 2013.
At the beginning of September Billie had 6 pups, including Bracken and Barney (pictured)
At the end of September, when they were just around 4 weeks old, all of Billie’s puppies and three of Bonnie’s were taken away from them.
On 15th October 2013, three more puppies, by now just six weeks old, were killed and dissected. The young pups were killed in turn nearby so that they could hear and smell what was happening.
On 17th October 2013 the remaining two puppies were also killed. By the end of October all of Bonnie and Billie’s babies were dead – at just six weeks old.
The company wanted to kill Bonnie and Billie as they did with all the mothers. But the Cruelty Free International investigator was able to secure their release. Both Bonnie and Billie were rescued from death and homed.
Tally and Robin were killed on 23rd October after their 13 five week old pups were taken away from them. On 28th November, all the pups were killed. They were just 10 weeks old.
The mother of these lively young pups was killed within minutes of them being taken away her. Their short lives came to an end on 28th November when they were only 10 weeks old.
This is Oliver. He is one of the lucky ones His life was spared thanks to the Cruelty Free International investigator.
This is Oliver, at 4 months old, on the day of his rescue.
These sweet, innocent puppies were soon to be taken away from their mother.
These puppies never got to know the joy of going for a dog walk. Their brief lives were cruelly cut short at just a few weeks old.
Sammy was taken away from his mother, Robin, when he was just 5 weeks old. His mother was killed on the same day. Sammy was killed one month later with his brothers and sisters.
Puppies regularly had blood taken. Some found it distressing while the workers tried to stick a needle into their small veins.
The puppies were cut open and various parts of their bodies removed.
A gruesome spectacle as the puppies’ small bodies were disembowelled.
Blackberry was a sweet female cat, she was shy at first but then she started to climb up our investigator’s back and sit on her shoulder. Blackberry was also killed on 22nd August 2013 along with Ben after being used in two experiments. Her little body was dumped in a bin as waste.
Rollie was ginger and white. He was nervous to start with but his confidence soon grew.
Toby was a small tabby cat. He was inquisitive and enjoyed being stroked.
Ben was a confident and friendly boy. He loved standing on the Cruelty Free International investigator’s shoulders and flopping into her neck. “He enjoyed his food and you could tell! He was always the first onto my lap and the last to leave.” Ben was killed on 22nd August 2013 after being used in two experiments.
These kittens were killed at 6 months, their little bodies dissected and dumped in a bin as waste.
Simba was a sweet ginger kitten. He was the most nervous and cautious out of the group.
This is George, a shy tabby cat.
Cats and dogs killed
At MSD Animal Health, after beagle mums gave birth, most were only allowed to nurse their babies for a few weeks. Used as breeding machines, once the experiment on their puppies was due to start they no longer served a purpose.
Shockingly, rather than find a loving home for these dogs to live out the rest of their lives in freedom, the company just killed them.
Sadly, thousands of dogs and hundreds of cats are used in research every year in the UK. Yet despite widespread public concern, because of the secrecy surrounding animal research very little is known about the suffering they are forced to endure.
It is a little known but heart-breaking fact that hundreds of animals ‘no longer required’ by the animal research industry are simply killed rather than being found loving homes. Find out more about our campaign to end experiments on cats and dogs in the UK.
