Help Camp Beagle Recoup and Rebuild

If you can offer LEGAL or TECHNICAL expertise, please CONTACT US.

If you are genuinely willing to help Camp Beagle and be a part of our story, then you will need to read-up on the current situation with Camp Beagle and the new groups. This page is essential background reading on where Camp Beagle stands at present.

Camp Beagle. More Than a Protest Camp

Camp Beagle runs a multifaceted campaign that is embedded in the roadside protest camp. The campaign relies on the day to day information the physical camp provides, and the camp is the driving force of the campaign. They go hand in hand.

• Every morning and evening the workers are reminded of what the majority of people think about their jobs and their work place. For 15 months, every single day the workers have been picketed on their way in and out of work by Camp Beagle supporters.
• Camp Beagle supporters bear witness and publish live the transportation of puppies to laboratories by Impex vans. Camp Beagle collaborates with other groups who monitor the arrival of the vans to laboratories.
• Information is gathered about this company by monitoring the gates of MBR. Subcontracted companies working at the site are noted, unusual activity is observed, and the drone is flown, weather permitting, to gather footage of the beagles. Camp Beagle is dedicated to exposing the secrets MBR hides behind high barbed wire fences.
• Information about this company is also gathered by means of research and submission of FOI
• We have outreach coordinators that have remained loyal to us, we hope they will continue to raise awareness of our camp and campaign.
• Camp Beagle also explores the political angle. We have been successful with two petitions and we are now working on our second parliamentary debate this year.
• Camp Beagle is defending itself in the high court, the right to peacefully protest outside MBR Acres and are incurring MBR huge legal costs. MBR has spent way over a million pound in legal fees, and we have still not been to trial, and the camp remains present.

The Way We Were

The original, and physical Camp Beagle, and its protesting and campaigning work of research, exposure and challenge remained generally united in its objectives of closing MBR Acres and banning the use of animals in the name of science. There were decisions and divisions, internal differences, but the Beagles kept us moving forward without any major casualties.

Until the Big Money Came

Soon after the first significant donation of £20,000 was announced, the two trusted campaign colleagues dealing with finance, including being sole custodians of the large donation, advised us that the standing of £20k donation has become very uncertain and unclear. Soon after, at one of Camp Beagle regular meetings they suddenly announced they were both leaving to set up their own general antivivisection campaigns, which would turn out to be Exposing Cruelty and Camp Beagle UK.

They asked if they could handover all their responsibilities: finances, website, mailing list and email accounts and people were nominated at the meeting to relieve them from their commitments to the Camp Beagle campaign (please see minutes of the meeting here).

This never happened.

As most of our followers will be aware, the combination of the rapid growth of the Camp Beagle’s profile along with the introduction of large donations has led to the all too common result of a set of campaigners being led astray by the promises of money and power.

The New Groups

This set formed into 3 additional smaller campaign groups:

• Exposing Cruelty – headed by Camp Beagle’s ex merchandiser and ex bookkeeper.
• Camp Beagle UK – they do not say who they are
• Camp Beagle Supporters Ltd – a company seeking to claim donated camp ‘assets’ at will under its ownership.

Normally new campaigns and groups with the same objectives would be supported wholeheartedly, but not when they take everything with them and then pursue a relentless campaign to publicly troll and discredit us and to mislead and manipulate our followers to serve their own aims.

What Has Been Taken

Unfortunately, between them, these groups have taken almost all of the original campaign tools and all the donated money with them when they went. The only things we were left with were the physical camp, and the Facebook and Instagram accounts. Here is a list of all the things taken from Camp Beagle.

• the original website thecampbeagle.co.uk
  • which is why Camp Beagle’s website is now the one you’re reading: thecampbeagle.COM (we had to make a new one, fast)
• donations totalling around £35,000
  • a donation of £10,000 last known to be held in the ex bookkeeper’s personal bank account.
  • a donation of £20,000 whose whereabouts are now unknown
  • regular donations made through the .co.uk website over it’s lifetime and potentially still being made
  • the contents of 2 paypal donation accounts
• The whole first year of accounting records
• Camp Beagle’s mailing list compiled through the .co.uk website
• A motorhome donated to Camp Beagle in December 2021
• the Google Maps listing
• the Youtube, Twitter and Tik Tok accounts
• the original mailboxes: camp.beagle.21@gmail.com and hello@thecampbeagle.co.uk
• A drone
• PO Box account
• An exhibition stand booked at VegFest, Olympia

And lastly, the biggest loss to Camp Beagle:

• Our sense of relative personal safety, security and trust, due to the recent unprovoked violent attacks on 3 women and 3 camp vehicles.

Throughout all this, the core compassionate fighting spirit of camp remains strong and we remain ever present and dedicated to the liberation of those innocent, imprisoned and doomed puppy souls. We are experienced, dedicated and committed campaigners. These disputes have been a significant distraction from our work of campaigning to raise awareness about the MBR beagles, exposing the cruelty inside the MBR sheds at Sawtry Way and the futile science, preparing for the upcoming parliamentary debate, arranging demonstrations, supporting outreach events, pushing the social media content, collaborating with other groups and negotiating press coverage.

Our Call For Help: Recoup & Rebuild

In addition to fighting for the Beagles, we are now having to defend our own campaign and resources from targeted attack. It feels like the workload has doubled but with no additional gain in sight.

Our call is for help with either recouping our resources or moving on and rebuilding them. We are calling on genuine supporters with the relevant expertise to address the specific issues below, as well as the general process of getting through this period of turbulence. We hope to look back on this as a minor skirmish, a part of our battle hardening and learning, on our journey to victory.

If you are genuinely willing to help Camp Beagle and be a part of our story, then you will need a read-up on the current situation with Camp Beagle and the new groups.

Return thecampbeagle.co.uk Domain Name

It appears the .co.uk domain was technically ‘owned’ by an individual who did not think it actually belonged to the Beagles. She was one of the two who left on 26^th July to set up Exposing Cruelty Limited.  The website very clearly had been used for the roadside protest camp and its associated campaigning work. It was agreed this website would be handed over to named individuals, this is evidenced not just by the meeting minutes but also many emails. Camp would have happily reimbursed her for the domain had we been asked, domains and hosting fees are not expensive.

On the whatsapp group chat transcript we also found that CBSL intended to take the co.uk website to make it a company ‘asset’. We absolutely did not ever agree to this. Until recently this website has continued to collect donations under the pretext they are for camp running costs (we have dated screenshots).

Recoup donations from the new campaigns and the ex Camp Beagle bookkeeper

On 26.07.2022 the bookkeeper confirmed there to be £3,974 in the bank – £10,000 from an anonymous donor – £20,000 donation from a legacy – £609 received via our monthly regular donors so just under £35,000 in total

In mid August, according to a group chat screenshot, Keith Collingwood had spoken to the ex Camp Beagle bookkeeper who said there were funds of:

• PayPal Business Account: £1,414.00
• PayPal Private Account: £2,071.00 (held by Sammi)
• Anonymous Donor £10,000 (held in trust by bookkeeper)
• Expected receipts Lush £200.00
• Private donation £275

Total of £13,960 (the £20,000 legacy donation disappeared between 26th July and mid August). Our understanding is a number of supporters were asked to pay money into personal bank accounts, there is no mention of the balance.

The ex Camp Beagle bookkeeper is not communicating with us but seems to be part of CBUK & CBSL and is definitely a part of Exposing Cruelty Limited (of which she is a Director) along with the other person who announced on 26^th July 22 that they were leaving to set up their own campaign to focus on vivisection in general, in particular with monkeys.

DO NOT DONATE TO CBUK BELIEVING YOU ARE SUPPORTING THE REAL CAMP BEAGLE

The Camp Beagle UK (CB UK) Facebook page that was originally created to coordinate outreaches for Camp Beagle is now a hostile trolling group comprising individuals, companies and groups with new and different campaigns to that of Camp Beagle.

Camp Beagle Supporters Ltd (CBSL) was incorporated 30.08.2022 by Keith Collingwood, who was not known to anyone at camp and has never been to camp. We have a full transcript of a chat group containing damning evidence of an intention to discredit camp and present themselves as ‘new management’.

Additional Information can be found here

Camp Beagle UK on 18^th October say that funds received so far by them have been authorised specifically by the donors to only go to CBUK/CBSL.

Any supporters who have donated since 26^th July 2022, if CBUK have not contacted you to ask if they can use your money for their unspecified costs then please ask for a refund, Camp Beagle does not have access to these funds.

They claim to have paid for toilet hire yet on 23^rd September we paid two invoices, one for £612.48 and the other additional cleaning one of £180, these were paid to LSK Hire Limited. These were paid from our Friends of Camp Beagle, Lloyds Treasurers account which was opened on 8^th September 2022. Payments are shown in the reconciled accounts.

A large donation was made to a bank account in our ex bookkeepers own name on 2^nd September. She had repeatedly chased the donor for this money and put in writing it was for the physical camp running costs. A later email said it had been spent on toilet hire and the camper tax, mot and repairs, all untrue. This donor wants their money returned, it is being used fraudulently.

Retrieve the Accounting Records

We have never seen bank or PayPal statements for the period the ex Camp Beagle bookkeeper was in her role. It recently has come to light supporters have been paying into a PayPal account in the name of a dormant company, Camp Beagle Official Limited (the bookkeeper is a director), we did not know this PayPal account even existed. Please let us know where you have ever been asked to make payments to. This may be to bank or PayPal accounts in individuals or in company names. We are compiling at list of accounts.

Additionally, the ex merchandiser never produced any account of proceeds from sales.

Oppose the attempt to trademark both the ‘Camp Beagle’ and ‘Free the MBR Beagles’ brands

A trademark application has been made by a non Camp Beagle party in the name of Pauline Hodson (Polly) for the terms ‘Camp Beagle’ and ‘Free the MBR Beagles’. It is expected the trademark rights will be used to take down or take over our website, Facebook and Instagram. We are having to file a formal objection with a specialist trademark attorney on board and we have extended the opposition time for one month.

Return the Camp Beagle Mailing List

The mailing list that Camp Beagle had built over months is now on the hands of people who do not support camp. It is currently being used to promote another campaign entirely and to promote a clothing business. We are in contact with the Information Commissioners Office regarding breach of GDPR and PECR.

Return our Motor Home (unrepaired, as is)

A motor home donated to camp in December 2021 was removed from Camp Beagle on 28^th September allegedly for an MOT. However, we later found out the MOT was not due until 23^rd November.  We are aware the camper was not taken to a mechanic until very recently.

On the 28th September, 3 camp vehicles had their windows smashed, but the central motor home was not targeted. Later that day, it was removed from camp along with its long term camp resident, and several people suddenly left camp. Later that evening three women were violently attacked with some kind of baton with metal on the end by the boyfriend of the long term camp resident who had exclusive use of this motor home.

CBUK state they have control over the motor home and will be put it back to use. They have not stated that it will be returned to camp for supporters to stay in throughout the winter. This motor home was donated to be used at camp, we have the initial correspondence to prove this.

Return our Google Maps listing

Our listing on Google Maps was under the name of Camp Beagle but this has been taken over by Camp Beagle Supporters Ltd incorrectly stating their business address as where the protest camp is, outside the gates of MBR Acres.

Return our Youtube, Twitter and Tik Tok accounts

The Twitter account was fraudulently claimed by CBUK and then Twitter suspended it due to hate speech and the fact it had been taken over by a hostile group. We have lost 1,700 followers – this is not helping the dogs nor you CBUK. Appalling behaviour.

Return our Drone

This expensive drone was bought with donations given to Camp Beagle to get better quality images. It has always been kept at camp. In early/mid September the drone was taken under false pretences by one individual who has become hostile to camp residents and to the campaign. She refuses to return the drone to camp, even though she is not using it. We have receipts of purchase.

Return our PO Box Account

We had difficulties getting Royal Mail to deliver post to camp, on the side of a B road. Parcels were being returned or getting lost. Therefore at one of Camp Beagle meetings it was agreed to invest on a PO box account that could reliably collect all the posts and parcel sent to camp. It is still under the control of those who have left the camp, and no mail has been passed on to camp.

Other Issues

The Ring Cameras

These are to our knowledge still being held by the police.

We originally removed them as in part they were being used for individuals personal entertainment purposes. Anyone given a login was able to watch not only the gates of MBR but also life at camp, and even listen into conversations through the camera’s microphones. Footage was published online of camp life business, this was inappropriate and disturbing.

We never had control over who or how many people were given access. We were being watched and listening to by anyone, by people we did not know. They were deemed a high security risk to our campaign.

Moreover, during the whole time the cameras were up and running, no one ever caught the vans arriving or leaving by watching the live footage. In our opinion they created a false sense of security, and we have had a much successful rate of catching the vans coming to take the dogs by doing night watches at camp.

CBUK said

‘Interestingly, the three physical camp vehicles were damaged approximately 20 minutes after they removed the cameras.’

This is incorrect, the cameras were still up. The vehicles damaged were way too far for the ring cameras to catch any evidence. Also, we should point out the impact on one windscreen was inches away from Mikey’s head, he could have been killed.

The Camp Beagle Facebook Page

Mid September 3am and 5am associates of CBUK and CBSL hijacked and vandalised our Facebook page.

They changed the profile name and website address to the .co.uk, put up their own posts announcing their ‘re-takeover’, deleted posts including one of puppy death vans leaving, deleted 500 followers and sent out direct messages to followers saying check out Camp Beagle UK.

Yes, we had removed access to some people and as you can see above, for very good reasons. 

Legal Representation

CBUK claim they and CBSL rallied hard and raised substantial sums to employ direction and legal representation in the High Court. No one from the current physical camp is being represented, nor is the camp itself, no one has approached us offering support, nor would we accept it as we do not know the source of the funding. Our understanding is a barrister is representing one or more individuals who are not part of the physical camp and therefore it is of less consequence to them that MBR Acres want a one mile exclusion zone.

Polly (Pauline Hodson)

Polly announced on a Facebook post she was leaving the camp on 15^th February 22, this was to set up a new campaign with actor Peter Egan and Louise Owen of For Life On Earth (FLOE).

On 11^th September 22, Polly made a scripted video statement which was posted on CBUK saying that she was leaving the Camp Beagle campaign once again, despite never having returned to it.

With regards to Polly being the ‘founder’ of Camp Beagle, the reality is she spent one night alone in her car. During the next two weeks many people turned up and set up camp, not because they had been asked to but because they were all founding Camp Beagle spontaneously. It is incredibly disrespectful to refer to one person as being the founder.