Dozens of Rabbits Die Miserably at Inotiv Breeding Facility; Feds Issue Critical Citations: PETA Statement

For Immediate Release:
April 2, 2026

Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382

Please see the following statement from PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo regarding a just-posted citation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture against an Inotiv-owed Envigo rabbit breeding facility for three critical violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act after the traumatic deaths of dozens of rabbits, including four instances in which rabbits escaped and were washed down the gutter into the wastewater holding tank; 11 baby rabbits who drowned in a water malfunction; 13 baby rabbits who died of thirst after not having access to water for two days; and 44 baby rabbits who died or were euthanized after sustaining injuries:

Inotiv, which owns Envigo, shouldn’t be allowed within eyesight of any animal, let alone breeding them. Just as its miserable beagle-breeding operation did, its Denver, Pa., facility has caused pain and suffering in equal measure to rabbits and needs to shut down. Inotiv, whose failing business model has driven its share price into the gutter, should stop breeding rabbits and importing monkeys and pivot toward non-animal, human-relevant research methods.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to experiment on”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.