In the summer of 2022, the news of nearly 4,000 Beagles being saved from a breeding facility in Cumberland, Virginia, shocked the world.
This facility was breeding dogs that would be later sold to animal testing laboratories across the country for experimentation involving laundry detergents or pharmaceuticals.
This historic rescue dog operation has thrown a spotlight on the issue of animal testing. Before this, very few people would have even known that this kind of testing was happening on Beagles.
But, the ugly truth is that more than 60,000 dogs are used for these kind of horrific experiments every year in the USA, along with tens of millions of other animals.[1]
And, it’s finally time for the world to learn the truth and give these poor animals a chance for a normal life.
Why Beagles?
You must be wondering, “why are Beagles the breed of choice in the animal testing industry?”
This was exactly my question, and when I found out the answer, it simply broke my heart.
You know why? Because they are one of the most forgiving, docile, and trustworthy dogs that don’t fight back no matter what.
They are too loving and gentle for their own good, and people choose to exploit their kind nature.
For those facilities and laboratories, they are nothing more than a number. These dogs have no name at all… just an identification code tattooed on their ear that indicates their time spent inside.
The president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, Kitty Block, described shocking violations of the Animal Welfare Act at the breeding facility owned by the company, Envigo [2]:
“Government inspectors found that Beagles there were being killed instead of receiving veterinary treatment for easily treated conditions; nursing mother Beagles were denied food; the food that they did receive contained maggots, mold, and feces; and over an eight-week period, 25 Beagle puppies died from cold exposure.”
Some of these dogs spend their whole life just being breeding dogs, and others often face even crueler torture — the life at the many laboratories nationwide.
According to the Humane Society, they endure a lifetime of pain and suffering as subjects of experimentation, after which they are typically euthanized.
The director, Abby Avery, of Adams County SPCA, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, which helped house many of the rescued Beagles, said that now she knew why they tested on Beagles.
“They’re so forgiving and loyal to a fault. To see them actually become dogs… it’s just amazing.”
Beagle Freedom Project
“Our mission is to help animals suffering in captivity and give them a chance at freedom.”
Beagle Freedom Project is a global organization with initiatives all over the world for rescuing and rehoming animals used in experimental research. [3]
Since 2010, they have liberated thousands of animals from testing laboratories that otherwise would have been euthanized, and they are continuously working to end the abuse.
Through education, advocacy, and legislation, they are fighting for a world without animal testing. Thanks to their hard work, many loving Beagles finally have a happy life.
These animals know nothing but a life in a cage, constantly testing products for humans.
Lab Breeding Dog Becomes Lap Dog
Thanks to the hard work of organizations such as the Beagle Freedom Project and the Humane Society, which fight tirelessly to shut down these horrific research facilities, as was Envigo, thousands of Beagles now have a new life.
Franny was one of the Envigo Beagles that was thankfully saved after three years of being a breeding dog in the facility. Her life for three-plus years was pretty much creating Beagles that would later be tested on.
“When Franny first came to us, she was definitely very scared”, says Kelly, Franny’s adoptive mom. “We wanted to give her a consistent environment.”
“It’s just really hard to look at that sweet animal and think what her puppy’s fates probably were… so if Franny can kind of be an ambassador, just being her cute, sweet little self, she is helping to change, I think, hearts and minds!”
All of these remarkable animals, just like Franny and many others, deserve to have wonderful homes and lives ahead of them, far from the needles, the gas masks, and the sounds of torture and death.
References:
[1] Tepper, S. D. (2022), Going big for beagles, The Humane Society of the United States. Retrieved April 18, 2023 from https://www.humanesociety.org/news/going-big-beagles
[2] Block K., Amundson S., (2022), Breaking: Historic transport of approximately 4,000 beagles spared from animal testing, The Humane Society of the United States, Retrieved April 18, 2023 from A Humane World.
[3] Bfp. (n.d.). Our Mission. Beagle Freedom Project, Retrieved April 18, 2023 from https://bfp.org/mission/
