Five activists from Leeds Animal Liberation Investigation Unit (ALIU) visited several sites locally which have been known to breed animals for vivisection, with the view of gathering footage of the facilities and releasing it for those concerned with what is happening there.

A recent property audit of the University of Leeds re-revealled Quarry Farm (Building #S059), located just off the A1 near Bramham, which past information and a raid by the ALF in the 1980's showed held stollen dogs for vivisection. More recently obtained documentation showed that upto 100 beagle dogs were being bred there for use in the Leeds Medical School and during 1999 the facility was linked to Hillgrove Cat Farm as their northern distributor. So we set out to a) establish if Quarry Farm was still active and b) document the abuses that were happening there.

Upon arrival, the unit was difficult to locate, hidden inside a small copse of trees and was surrounded by a chain link fence, which was scaled in order to gain access. It was apparent from there that the unit had infact closed down, however we looked around inside by going through an open door in the beagle kennels to see if there was any evidence of it moving to another location. The building had an eerie atmosphere with all the tiny beagle pens still holding the numbers of their previous 'occupants', however we did notice that two of the pens had recently been used for some reason due to recently laid, and non-decomposed, straw being on the floor. The site incinerator was still in the building, however didn't look to have been used for some time. Discarded veterinary products were on the floor in the old store room and a number of clinical waste bags appeared to contain faeces, however these appeared to have been there for a substantial period. We conclude that the run-down appearance of the site means it is no-longer used and beleive it would take a substantial amount of money to get it refurbished to a decent standard, however will keep Quarry Farm in mind for further visits due to the mentioned laid bedding being found.

Following this, we visited Headley Hall Farm where sheep, cattle and birds have been bred and captured by the University of Leeds Manton Laboratories in the past few years. This site was not run down at all, however after a thorough search of the premises no animals were found. The office on site was occupied, however this is beleived to be linked to the Field Research station at the farm and not the breeding of animals. Again, the ALIU will keep a close eye on Headley Hall Farm for further investigations as it could possibly the case they have closed down for the Winter.

Our last point of call was Home Office licenced Spen Farm, Spen Common Lane, near Tadcaster, where pigs are bred and supplied for vivisection and meat. The site is definately still in use, however we were unable to film inside the animal units due to workers being present. The site had biohazard signs on most breeding sheds and also clinical waste bins, a common feature at laboratory animal breeders.

Leeds ALIU is part of the newly established national network of legal undercover investigators at sites of animal abuse and will most certainly be continuing being part of the vital work being conductd in this field of the struggle for animal liberation.