Timeline: Events leading up to the seizure of 4,000 beagles at Envigo facility

Inotiv

09/03/2023 11:02

By Sarah N. Lynch and Rachael Levy
       WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of
Justice subpoenaed two of the top animal welfare officials at
the Department of Agriculture to ask why they did not take
action against animal research breeder Envigo  NOTV.O  despite
documenting its mistreatment of thousands of beagles. 
    Here is a timeline of the USDA’s inspections of Envigo
before the Justice Department searched and seized more than
4,000 beagles in May 2022.
    The timeline is based on public inspection reports and more
than 800 pages of newly released internal USDA records obtained
by the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA).
    
    July 20-22, 2021 - The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) inspects the Envigo beagle facility
and finds 18 violations, 10 of which are “direct" or "critical,"
with direct indicating an animal is facing immediate harm.
    
    Sept. 30, 2021 - Inspector Rachel Perez-Baum asks to
increase staffing and send four or five inspectors for a planned
October inspection due to problems such as "uncooperative
facility management." Her supervisor Dana Miller concurs and
urges APHIS to send inspectors in pairs after Envigo's staff
“attempted to recant” their statements. Perez-Baum and Miller
declined to comment to Reuters.
    
    Oct. 7, 2021 - APHIS director Robert Gibbens declines the
request, citing “optics” and the risks of COVID-19 exposure.
Gibbens declined to comment to Reuters.
   
    Oct. 25, 2021 – Three APHIS inspectors find 13 violations at
Envigo, seven of which are “direct" or "critical."
    
    Nov. 16-19, 2021 - APHIS inspects Envigo and finds 26
violations, 14 of which are "direct" or "critical."
    
    Dec. 16-20 2021 - Envigo's Nov. 23 appeal of the October
inspection sparks tension within APHIS, after Miller learns
APHIS managers plan to strip some citations from the inspection
report, including one that found Envigo provided false
information. Miller claims APHIS has violated policy by not
properly consulting her or Perez-Baum. Gibbens disagrees, saying
the appeal review team is only permitted to consult them on "a
question of fact," “to ensure impartiality” of the appeal.
    
    Dec. 17, 2021 - Inspector Perez-Baum completes a 107-page
report detailing what APHIS found in the November Envigo
inspection. APHIS managers rescind it and order the inspection
team to cut it to 22 pages. The move prompts several internal
complaints to the USDA inspector general.
    
    Feb. 16, 2022 - Miller informs her staff that Goldentyer has
removed her from working on any more Envigo inspections. Miller
offers no explanation. Goldentyer declined to comment to
Reuters.
    
    March 2-7, 2022 - Ahead of a planned inspection, inspectors
learn that Gibbens met with Inotiv officials and promised that
inspectors would conclude their inspections by 4 p.m. each day.
Inspectors express concern that this will make it more difficult
for them to do thorough inspections. APHIS leaders also narrow
the scope of the upcoming inspection.

    March 8, 2022 - APHIS employees inspect Envigo and find five
violations, two of which are “direct.”
    
    May 3, 2022 - APHIS inspects Envigo and only cite the
company for failing to fix the dangerous flooring.
    
    May 18, 2022 - Federal and state law enforcement agents
execute a search warrant at Envigo and find 446 dogs in “acute
distress.” 

 (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch, editing by Ross Colvin)
 ((sarah.n.lynch@thomsonreuters.com; 202-579-0289;))