Prince Harry and Meghan are backing an end to the use of beagles for testing and the closure of facilities that breed dogs for the purpose.
The couple revealed this week they had adopted seven-year-old beagle Mamma Mia – one of 4,000 dogs rescued from a US site in Cumberland, Virginia, which has since been closed.
Beagle Freedom Project, which saved Mamma Mia and gained the support of the Duke and Duchess, is now hoping to win a campaign to close UK breeding site MBR Acres.
Project director Shannon Keith said: “The Duchess, when she called me, said she’s been supporting Beagle Freedom Project for years and completely supports our mission.
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“She specifically said the reason she wanted to adopt from us was to get the message out that it’s important to adopt from animal testing and that she supports ending animal testing.”
Activists outside MBR Acres in Huntingdon, Cambs, have won the backing of celebrities including comic Ricky Gervais and singer Will Young – who joined the protest in November, chaining himself to the gates.
Protestors fear hundreds of healthy dogs face being killed after getting too old.
The centre, owned by US biomedical research company Marshall BioResources, insists there is no truth to the claim and accused protesters of spreading falsehoods about the company.
Shannon is working with Rosemary Reed, founder of Power of Women TV and the Power of Dogs, to shut down MBR Acres.
While no experiments take place there, up to 2,000 beagles are kept at MBR Acres, to be shipped in crates at 16 weeks for use in drug and chemical trials.
Shannon said when they have rescued dogs in the States “they’ve never seen the sun”.
She added: “They’re stolen from their mothers from four weeks and left alone crying in a cage.”
Mamma Mia joins Harry and Meghan’s other two rescue dogs.
Shannon said: “They tell me she’s getting on well.”
The Government said testing is only allowed when there is no alternative and “supports the development of medicines and the safety of our environment”.
■Sign the petition against breeding lab animals at: petition. parliament.uk/petitions/611810
