The Italian State Forestry Department has shut down"Green Hill" the well-known and infamous company located in Montichiari, Italy in the province of Brescia. They were the company that bred beagle dogs for vivisection labs.

The inspection and seizure of the property was arranged by the Public Prosecutor at the ordinary courts of Brescia. It was attended by about 30 forestry employees belonging to the Provincial Command of Brescia, Bergamo and the Investigative Unit for Crimes in detriment to Animals (NIRDA). Also present was the staff of the Police Headquarters of Brescia. The operation led to the seizure of all the beagle dogs, both puppies and adults. The entire facility consisted of four warehouses, offices and related appurtenances for a total of about 5 hectares.

The seizure of Green Hill follows the reporting by LAV for the conditions of detention of the 2,500 beagles in that facility. The organizations, Zoophilic dell'OIPA and the International Animal Protection, had filed a complaint nine months ago of the poor conditions that led to the arrest this morning in Green Hill. "It was filed closing a situation, so far unheard of" writes 'OIPA. It was the Public Prosecutor of Brescia that allowed the organization, Zoophilic OIPA quell'ispezione to storm the facility on September 30th, 2011.


Three people were investigated and are being charged for animal cruelty (art.544 ter) in the investigation that led to the seizure of Beagle puppies at "Green Hill". This was announced by the State Forestry Department. "The beagle puppies - underscores the Forest Dept. - still can not leave the business. Representatives of Green Hill have been appointed legal guardians along with the mayor of the town in Lombardy and the local ASL. They have the responsibility of the care and feeding of beagles.

ENPA calls for the closing of other facilities used for testing animals in vivisection. "Stop Green Hill and other farms from testing, in our country." That should be 'what is required by the National Animal Control Board following the raid that led to the arrest of Green Hill. "The surveys of the structure, still in progress, are casting a heavy shadow on the activities' of the facility. Green Hill should be closed once and for all if the investigators are to confirm the violation of rules of law," says Carla Rocchi, ENPA national president, who continued: "I ask the Senate to respect the will 'of the vast majority of Italians who oppose vivisection (86.3%, according to the" Italy Report 2012 "by Eurispes) The movement spontaneously arose and grew from one year ago resulting in the closure of Green Hill, approved by Article 14 of EU Law, already 'voted by an overwhelming majority of the House. "

In the decree by which the Public Prosecutor of Brescia has announced, with the seizure of breeding Green Hill, Montichiari, and what is' known, it is assumed that the beagles kept in the facility can also be targeted in the trial related to cosmetic and scientific testing. The reason why, and 'suggested the crime of cruelty to animals,' is related to the particular characteristics of the beagle. The beagle is ' in fact a 'Hound' and requires special conditions of life, including the possibility 'of being outdoors.

"Translated from source": Here

In broad daylight today, as reported in the Italian newspaper Giornale di Brescia, Italian activists conducted a bold and daring raid of Green Hill, one of Europe’s largest breeder of beagles for vivisection labs, and rescued at least thirty beagles destined for painful procedures inside laboratories and eventual death from either the fatal results of experiments or the slaughter afterwards when they are deemed no longer useful.

At least 1000 activists organized by Occupy Green Hill who came from all over northern Italy started their procession in Montichiari, a city about 60 miles east of Milan where Green Hill is located. Many of them wore signs saying “We are the 86%,” referring to the percentage of Italians polled who were opposed to animal-based experimentation. On their approach close to Green Hill they were met by police and roadblocks. Groups of activists then cut through the fields and across other streets to the fences surrounding the facility.

There, about 300-400 demonstrators tried to open gates in the perimeter as teams of mobile riot police and police who were deployed tried to contain them. On the side of the gates, however, the protesters opened a breach in the fence and broke into the farm, with others simply scaling the fence, carefully avoiding the barbed-wire. Once inside they scrambled into the sheds and rescued at least thirty dogs, many of them being handed over the fence to waiting hands on the other side.

At the end of the day, it was reported that police had arrested 13 people. Some protesters said they had suffered violence by some officials. View video of the march and the raid here.

So why Green Hill?

Within Europe, Green Hill is now the largest breeder of dogs destined for laboratories. Green Hill houses 5 sheds which imprisons 2500 adult dogs, plus several litters. The sheds are closed, aseptic, without open spaces and without natural light or air. Rows and rows of cages with artificial lighting and ventilation system are the environment in which these dogs grow before being loaded onto a truck and shipped to laboratories where abuse and pain await them.

Among the clients of Green Hill are university laboratories, pharmaceutical companies and renowned trial centers as the notorious Huntingdon Life Sciences in England.


Who profits from Green Hill?

Several years ago Marshall Farms Inc., an American firm, acquired the company. Marshall is infamous throughout the world as the largest “producer” of dogs for the vivisection industry. The Marshall beagle is actually a standard variety. For about €450-900 ($600-1200) you can buy dogs of any age. For those who are willing to pay more one can also obtain a pregnant mother. Green Hill and Marshall also offer its customers on-demand surgical treatments, such as the cutting or removal of vocal cords so “researchers” cannot hear their cries of pain.

Marshall’s dogs are shipped by air all over the world, but with the purchase of Green Hill as the European headquarters and the construction of a huge farm in China, Marshall is pursuing a plan of expansion and market monopoly.

To Green Hill and Marshall Farm, animals are merely merchandise, commodities to just breed and sell without any thought to the pain and suffering — both mental and physical — that they will suffer. Through the work of these activists, a few lives were saved from the horrors of industry, and shows to those who profit from the lives of innocent beings that oppression will not be tolerated. (SOURCE)