In Gannat, MBR Farms plays cat and mouse at the expense of dogs for the purposes of animal testing

Gannat, in the department of Allier, along with many other French towns with 6,000 inhabitants, shares the hope of having a vibrant economy. Developing its business activities there is essential, even if it involves living animals paying a high price for it. But here like everywhere else, One Voice cannot accept that the legal rules are surpressed, especially when it concerns the fate of thousands of innocent dogs destined for experiments for so-called scientific purposes and for the benefit of merciless multinational businesses.

Area of what? Of lawlessness!

We had already fought against dog breeding in 1999. Moreover, we succeeded in saving four bitches purely considered and labelled a ‘product’ in this dog factory, where images had recently been unveiled by the organisation L214.

And in March 2019, we applied for a court order with France Nature Environnement Allier for the rescindment of a decree in which the town, at the beginning of 2019, allowed the company MBR Farms to demolish five buildings and build a new one for ‘industrial’ purposes.

The set-up is complicated: Envigo (ex-Harlan, global industrial giant of so-called animal laboratories and a stakeholder in MBR Farms) occupied delapidated buildings for the same activity located in Portes Occitanes Avenue, near to the Intermarché supermarket, to Point P, to Gedimat, to the local McDonald’s… In short, a commercial area when this type of activity had facilities classed as a risk to the environment and requires impact assessments for every extension, in this case 3,600 square metres more…

Playing cat and mouse with the law

The authorities are playing cat and mouse with the law here, a bit like in Mézilles. Their version is a tall story: when the Mayor says that ‘producing’ dogs for laboratories is an industrial activity, you can agree with her that the birth rate and the barbaric treatment of dogs alludes to industry. But in fact, can raising animals be exempt from the rules of animal welfare and environmental protection in force in the specialised fields in accordance with her own elected opinion?

It seems (a document has yet to be produced) that the local prefect had also given MBR Farms an impact assessment on this development, calling into question the noise pollution and the sewerage. But obviously, if it gets bigger, it will be better on all levels, because the Mayor guarantees that there will be no change to the volume of business despite the extension. We’ll see…

We have therefore challenged MBR Farms in every legal way possible about the legality of this extension of buildings to the administrative court of Clermont-Ferrand with FNE Allier. This extension is dedicated to the despicable practice involving the breeding of an assembly line of dogs to sell them to laboratories where they are tortured for experiments. No extra space should be given to this business! The case is still ongoing.

Sign our petition for total transparency on animal testing, financing alternative methods and the systematic and unique use of these when they exist!

Translated from the French by Sophie Martin