5 Animal rights activists have been found guilty of burglary after rescuing 18 beagle puppies from MBR Acres.
MBR Acres is a facility that breeds dogs for animal testing in the UK. The verdict was given after a 12-day trial at Cambridge Crown Court.
The five beagle puppies rescuers, photo: Animal Rising
The rescue happened in December 2022. The five defendants, Eben Lazarus, Ben Newman, Hannah Hunt, Nathan McGovern, and Lewis Elliot, entered MBR Acres and took the puppies. They said they did it to save the dogs from a life of suffering.
This is the first legal case in the UK involving the “Open Rescue” method. Activists openly enter animal facilities to remove animals and then speak publicly about their actions.
The five said they were honest and acted out of compassion. But the jury decided they were guilty under the UK’s Theft Act.
Photo a beagle puppy
More people are expected to go to court over the rescue. In total, 13 more individuals are facing burglary charges. Their trials are planned for January and February 2026.
’18 beagle puppies are alive’
After the verdict, Animal Rising co-director Ben Newman said: “The reality is that 18 beagle puppies are alive and free today because we took action. No verdict can erase that fact.”
“This case has shone a national spotlight on MBR Acres, and the cruelty of breeding dogs for experimentation, and the public response has been overwhelming,” he added.
During the trial, the court heard about the activists’ beliefs against animal testing. They spoke about a “bleeding license” used at MBR Acres, which allows for blood collection and terminal testing on healthy dogs. They also shared scientific sources that question the effectiveness of animal testing.
A petition asking the UK Home Office to shut down MBR Acres and rehome the dogs has already collected nearly 39,000 signatures.
The five activists say they stand by their actions, even if the court did not accept their defence.
“I respect the jury’s verdict, but I remain proud that 18 dogs were rescued from a life of experimentation and are now safe,” Hannah Hunt said.
UPDATE! In a devastating blow to animal welfare, Zoe Rosenberg, an animal rescuer and investigator with Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), has been found guilty of felony conspiracy and three misdemeanors for saving four sick and injured chickens from Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse. The conviction carries a potential sentence of nearly five years in jail, a staggering punishment for an act of compassion.
While Zoe now faces years behind bars, Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry walks free despite documented evidence of animals left to die slowly, trapped in filth, or scalded alive in boiling water. The very cruelty that sparked Zoe’s rescue was barred from the jury’s full view, leaving them to judge her actions without the context of the suffering she sought to end.
Represented by Chris Carraway of the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project and attorney Kevin Little, Zoe plans to appeal her conviction, challenging the court’s refusal to allow her a necessity defense, the argument that her actions were justified to prevent greater harm. The defense was also severely limited in presenting animal cruelty evidence, an omission that silenced the animals’ suffering at the heart of this case.
For the animal welfare movement, the verdict is both a devastating blow and a rallying cry. A young woman may soon sit in prison for saving the lives of animals, while those who inflict industrial-scale animal cruelty remain shielded by law and profit. Around the world, supporters mourn the injustice and brace for the long fight ahead, to bring compassion back into this fallen world.
September 16th: Zoe Rosenberg, a dedicated animal rescuer and investigator with Direct Action Everywhere (DxE), is facing the fight of her life. On Monday, September 15th, the Perdue Rescue Trial began at the Sonoma County Superior Court in Santa Rosa, California. Rosenberg stands accused of rescuing four sick and injured chickens from Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse. If convicted, she could face nearly five years in jail.
Despite the significance of this case, all media has been denied access to the courtroom. However, daily Court Watch summaries will be posted on DxE’s blog, with updates also shared on the Perdue Rescue Trial X account, DxE’s Instagram, and UnchainedTV’s live panel discussions. Supporters are encouraged to attend the trial in person by signing up HERE!
On June 13th, 2023, Rosenberg rescued four chickens, Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea, who were suffering inside the slaughterhouse. She publicly announced the rescue that same day, yet was not arrested until November 30th. In December, prosecutors placed her under the strictest level of pre-trial release, including a GPS ankle monitor, warrantless searches, and severe travel restrictions.
Originally charged with multiple felonies, Rosenberg now faces one count of felony conspiracy, two misdemeanor trespass charges, and one misdemeanor for allegedly tampering with a chicken transport truck. Her defense is being led by Chris Carraway of the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, while Sonoma County prosecutors Matthew Hobson and Jessalee Mills pursue the case under District Attorney Carla Rodriguez.
Before the rescue, Rosenberg and other DxE activists repeatedly reported graphic evidence of criminal animal cruelty at Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry facility to law enforcement, the USDA, and local agencies. These included birds trapped on their backs without food or water and birds with bloody wounds. Authorities took no action. For Rosenberg, this case isn’t about denying what she did, it’s about explaining why.
“On the first day of my trial, the judge ruled that my ankle monitor might prejudice the jury and ordered that I can have it removed. This comes after nearly two years of being electronically monitored by the government. I will likely be getting it off sometime today,” shared Zoe Rosenberg on her social media.
“The judge also ruled that we will sadly not be allowed to present or discuss evidence of animal cruelty at the factory farms that supply chickens to Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry slaughterhouse. He struck some of our witnesses, including Lewis Bernier and Eva Hamer,” continued Rosenberg. “However, he decided that we can tell the jury about the conditions the rescued chickens were in and potentially even present their veterinary records. Animal caretaker Carla Cabral will be allowed to testify.”
Today, Poppy, Ivy, Aster, and Azalea are thriving at an undisclosed animal sanctuary, living the lives they were almost denied, thanks to the devoted care of their caretaker, Carla Cabral.
Pre-trial motions on Monday shaped key aspects of the trial. While the judge limited testimony about earlier investigations and other facilities, Rosenberg will be able to explain how those investigations influenced her beliefs, including a previous case where law enforcement allowed the rescue of a single injured bird named Rose.
This case will test not only Rosenberg’s freedom but also whether rescuing sick and injured animals will be seen as a crime or as an act of compassion. As the trial continues, the world will be watching to see whether the law sides with suffering or with mercy.
A British woman, Holly LeGresley, has pleaded guilty at Worcester Magistrates’ Court to charges of consuming, causing and facilitating the torture of monkeys. She was part of a global monkey torture ring that paid for and ordered baby monkeys to be tortured and killed in Indonesia to create vi deos to be circulated online. She will be sentenced on 7th June.
LeGresley leaving courtroom foto; The Mirror UK
LeGresley, who called herself ‘The Immolator,’ even ran a poll for group members to vote on the method of torture they wanted to see inflicted upon a monkey for a video to be made, funded by the group. The choices included sealing a monkey inside a jar with red ants, applying a painful substance to the wounds created by a cheese grater or gluing together various parts of a monkey’s body.
Lady Freethinker, a US-based animal protection organization, and Action for Primates, a UK-based project that advocates globally on behalf of non-human primates, have spent three years investigating the sadistic world of animal torture videos. Our evidence and information have been given to various law enforcement agencies and spurred the BBC investigation and documentary about online monkey torture gangs – “The Monkey Haters” – which helped lead to the inclusion of animal cruelty in the UK Online Safety Act.
Lady Freethinker and Action for Primates commend UK law enforcement for taking on this disturbing subject and welcome the charges brought by West Mercia police force. Any individual involved in facilitating such heinous animal cruelty should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The charges are part of an international effort by law enforcement agencies to tackle those groups and individuals who facilitate the torture of baby monkeys. At least 20 people across the globe are being investigated, and several in the USA and Indonesia have already been convicted and imprisoned.
Members of these torture groups are primarily active on platforms such as Telegram and get ‘pleasure’ from watching helpless and vulnerable infant monkeys – some just a few days old – in terror and pain fighting for their lives. The extreme cruelty inflicted upon the baby monkeys included being set alight; having parts of their body cut off, including limbs, genitals, fingers, and toes; their bones broken with a hammer; their heads squeezed in a clamp; beaten viciously; and having their eyes drilled out with a power tool.
“The horrors being inflicted on innocent, baby monkeys for online videos are sickening, and strong actions must be taken to protect animals from such brutality at the hands of humans,” said Nina Jackel, founder of Lady Freethinker. “Those involved in the creation or distribution of animal torture content for ‘enjoyment’ pose a threat to both animals and humans, and they must be held accountable.”
“Such extreme cruelty and depravity must never be tolerated,” said Sarah Kite, spokesperson for Action for Primates, and who assisted the UK police with their investigation. “Anyone involved in this type of behaviour must be held to account, and others need to know that such behaviour will never be tolerated.’’
Shockingly, there are also monkey torture groups on the world’s top social media platforms, and many of these graphic videos – depicting mutilation, burning, beating and more – have also been posted on Facebook, making them easily available for others, including children, to access and view. By allowing these people to operate and post monkey torture content, social media platforms have enabled and continue to enable animal cruelty fetishists to connect and escalate their cruel activities to extreme and grotesque levels. Lady Freethinker and Action for Primates are calling on social media and video sharing platforms to take immediate action to stop the proliferation of animal torture content that is being posted online.
A second woman – Adriana Orme – chose not to enter a plea at this stage and will appear in court again on 5th June.
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