The Court of Brescia (Italy) convicted the Executive Manager, the Director and the veterinarian of the beagle breeding center facility for animal testing purposes "Green Hill" to various terms of imprisonment for animal abuse and illegal killing of animals occurred through several years and ordered to pay damages compensation.

Until 2012, Green Hill, located in a village in the province of Brescia (Italy), had provided was beagle breeding center facility specially bred for testing purposes. It belongs to Marshall multinational company. For years the farm factory provided test-labs with beagles bred specifically for testing purposes. After years of demonstrations and protest to demand its closure, on 2012 the Public Prosecutor of Brescia decided the closure of Green Hill and entrusted the judicial custody of all the dogs the Lega AntiVivisezione - LAV - and Legambiente. About 3,000 dogs were then rescued.

The responsibles for Green Hill were found guilty of practicing the systematically killing of the dogs when affected by a disease - even a simple dermatitis – in order to reduce costs and also because they would not have been suitable anymore for testing purposes. The beagles exhibited very high mortality: between 2008 and 2012, 6,023 deaths, were recorded, an overwhelming number. There was only one veterinarian who has been convicted for the care of animals. At Green Hill, letting the dogs reproduce continuously and replacing the “faulty ones” with newborns , was “business as usual” as it was considered a more convenient practice than providing adequate health care.

LAV will devolve the compensation for damages to a research fund for alternatives to animal testing.

Source: Liga AntiVivisezione - LAV