Will Young Cuffs Himself To Puppy Breeding Facility To Protest Animal Testing
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Singer Will Young chained himself to the gates of a puppy breeding facility earlier today (16 November), saying on social media that he is campaigning to 'stop animal testing'.
The 42-year-old was photographed padlocked to steel gates at the MBR Acres research site at Wyton in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, at lunchtime.
He was holding a poster that said: "Cambridgeshire. Famous for beagle torture. Thanks to MBR."
Young, who is a keen dog lover, has been at the centre of protests against the medical experiment on animals since the summer, after a permanent camp was set up outside the gates in July.
Campaigners claim that 2,000 beagles are being reared at the site before being transported to laboratories for medical research at just 16 weeks old.
The star posted photos from today on Instagram, writing: "I spent today at the gates of MBR Acres in protest of their testing on beagles. I wanted to raise awareness of animal testing and the fact that this is a puppy farm that farms over 2000 beagle puppies a year to be sent out to their inevitable torture and death. People do not know about it in this country and that is why I've handcuffed myself to the gates."
In his Stories, he also joked: "I look like Steptoe and Son! Free the beagles and stop animal testing."
MBR Acres is owned by Marshall BioResources, a global provider of purpose-bred animals for biomedical research and related services.
The company, which is inspected regularly by the Home Office, says it is 'dedicated to maintaining high standards of animal welfare' and 'greatly respects and appreciates' the role in which its animals play in the development of 'life-saving discoveries'.
However, campaigners claim that many of the dogs are destined for a 'cruel, painful and short life' of toxicology testing and vivisection.
Speaking to the Metro, Young explained that he cuffed himself to the gates to spread the word about animal testing to fellow Brits.
He said: "I wanted to bring attention to animal testing and the fact that this is a puppy farm that farms over 2000 beagle puppies a year to be sent out to their inevitable torture and death.
"People do not know about it in this country and that is why I've handcuffed myself to the gates."
Last year, Young rescued two dogs called Domino and Diamond from the US, saying they had been facing euthanasia.
He took them to see celebrity vet Noel Fitzpatrick for a Christmas special of Channel 4 show The Supervet, as Domino was suffering from a painful limp.
