A New Jersey-based animal testing facility owned by Shri Thanedar’s former company Azopharma was left with over 170 animals—including 118 beagles and 55 monkeys—after the business went bankrupt in 2010. According to court records, when Bank of America took control of the company following its collapse, responsibility for the facility shifted to the bank’s appointed receiver.
Thanedar has stated he warned the bank about live animals remaining at the shuttered AniClin Preclinical Services facility and that the court-appointed receiver had authority over property management. He claims he was barred from intervening further after his company entered receivership. However, court documents indicate his legal team initially resisted efforts to relocate the animals to sanctuaries unless compensation was provided for their monetary value to creditors. This resistance later withdrew as the animals were released into adoptive care.
Animal welfare advocates reported that during the transition period, the facility was in poor condition with animals underfed and limited access to water. Former lab employees reportedly broke into the site to provide food and water while animal rescue groups eventually relocated all 170 animals to sanctuaries and adoption homes across the country. Thanedar denies direct responsibility for the animals’ welfare during this period but acknowledges his company was legally responsible as the owner of the facility.
The incident gained significant public attention in July 2010, with USA Today reporting on the plight of the beagles trapped inside the facility after the company’s bankruptcy. Thanedar has maintained that he ensured proper oversight of animal care during his tenure at Azopharma and that the lab operated under licensing requirements and veterinary guidelines until its closure.
