600 dogs to be released by Mayo laboratory before Christmas

UP to 600 dogs used for pharmaceutical testing at a Mayo laboratory could be released and rehomed by Christmas following discussions between Charles River and the ISPCA.

A happy ending finally appears to be in prospect after months of protest and controversy surrounding the fate of the beagles and mixed-breed dogs kept at the company’s facility in Glenamoy.

Charles River announced in July that it would be closing the laboratory, which had become the focus of protests by animal welfare groups.

Members of Mayo County Council had also sought to inspect the facility, where dogs were used for testing pharmaceutical products.

There was concern that the animals could be euthanised as part of the company’s plans to cease its veterinary pharmaceutical services and centralise operations at its remaining site at Carentrilla.

However, the ISPCA (Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has confirmed that it has engaged in discussions with Charles River with a view to rehoming all of the dogs at its facility in Glenamoy.

“At the moment, all I can do is confirm that we have been in discussions with Charles River with a view to working together to find homes for all of the animals that will be retired over the coming months,” Dr. Andrew Kelly, CEO of the ISPCA, told The Connaught Telegraph.

“I am meeting with representatives from Charles River over the next few weeks to put a programme in place and to make the arrangements. We’re very pleased to be working with Charles River and we will do all we can to rehome all of the dogs.”

It is understood that the Health Product Regulatory Authority (HPRA) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine are also involved in discussions to facilitate the release of the animals.

A licence issued by the HPRA is required in order to permit the release or rehoming of an animal that has been used for laboratory experiments or pharmaceutical testing.

Dr. Kelly said that the ISPCA does not know exactly how many dogs are currently accommodated in the laboratory in Glenamoy. There were 619 dogs, including 32 pups, on the site at the time of its last inspection.

Last June, The Connaught Telegraph revealed that six breaches of animal protection regulations at the Glenamoy facility had been identified by the HPRA in the past three years.

Three of these breaches were described as ‘major non-compliance’ issues, which are the second most serious type of breaches under legislation for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes.

A spokesperson for Charles River confirmed that the company is working with the ISPCA and other appropriate regulatory agencies with a view to rehoming the dogs.

“Charles River has a deep commitment to animal welfare and we are in the process of developing a programme to rehome our animals. This programme is in the initial phase of development and, as a result, we don’t have details to share at this time