Camp Beagle

Camp Beagle is to be found outside of MBR Acres in the UK, a temporary home to a number of Beagles bred for testing on animals. The Camp has been in existence since the summer of 2021 and has helped bring the issue of vivisection once more into national scrutiny, drawing attention from both media and government alike. Camp Beagle team members offer us a quick update and some insight into the founding of the camp and its goals and achievements.

The protests we held at the start grew and grew by the week. The more it was shared on social media the more people would turn up.

Hey team. Thanks for talking to Forca Vegan about the Camp.

How did the camp come about?

The camp came about after a small demo outside the gates of MBR. One of the protesters Polly refused to leave the site. So, her and another lady called Bethany decided to sleep over in their Smart Car. Once the word got out, the camp grew organically.

What got you started?

What got me started personally was seeing it on social media. I never knew they conducted animal testing on beagle puppies so was horrified to find out about this reality. I have never done any form of animal rights protest before, so this is completely new to me!

The initial protests seemed to snowball pretty quickly...

The protests we held at the start grew and grew by the week. The more it was shared on social media the more people would turn up. All horrified to find out what was going on behind the gates of MBR Acres.

How would you describe the press coverage generally?

The press coverage has been good in some respects lots of local newspapers regularly publish stories of the camp. However, we need it to hit the main news channels!

Local feedback?

The local feedback has been absolutely astonishing! The amount of support we get every single day is amazing. People bring us hot meals, water, and supplies. The camp never goes without anything. Which we are extremely grateful for.

Does the camp have a vegan policy?

The camp doesn’t have a vegan policy. We do have a vegan kitchen to cater for everyone, but no matter what you eat you are welcome to Camp Beagle.

How do you resolve conflicts?

We resolve conflicts by working together. Yes, there have been tough times as it is a very emotional situation. We have all been thrown together, but the most important thing is communication. We are like one big family!

The recent High Court actions seem to have gone your way…

Yes, the High Court case has gone in our favour, which was brilliant news! Camp Beagle isn’t going anywhere! Priti Patel has said she was ‘shocked’ by what goes on at MBR Acres. Now she needs to act on those words!

The Camp has definitely put the issue of Vivisection and Animal Testing firmly back in the centre of Animal Rights movement right now – what’s the long term aims?

The aims of Camp Beagle are to Free the MBR Beagles and ban all dog experiments. Our longer-term aims are to create an official enquiry into vivisection as a whole!

What can activists and supporters do to help?

If activists want to help, we will ask them to please come down to camp! We work mostly through face-to-face conversations and feet on the ground. If you can’t make it to camp, then we ask that you please share us on your social media and spread the word in your local community.

THECAMPBEAGLE.CO.UK