Last beagles rescued from Virginia facility up for adoption. Here’s what to know
A final group of around 300 beagles has been rescued from a Virginia breeding facility that closed after it was cited for animal welfare violations, according to rescue groups.
Around 4,000 beagles had been living at the facility, where they were bred for sale to animal testing laboratories, animal advocates say.
Anyone interested in helping the beagles can see a list of more than 120 animal shelters across the country that have received them. Many are available to be fostered or adopted.
A federal judge approved a “transfer plan” in July that laid out steps for how the Humane Society of the United States could get the beagles out of the facility and into shelters across the country. Rescuers have been moving the beagles out in groups ever since.
The facility, located in Cumberland, Virginia, and owned by Envigo and its parent company Inotiv, agreed to close after it became the target of multiple complaints about the well-being of the animals inside.
A spokesman for Inotiv said in a statement that all of the civil and administrative complaints against the company would be dismissed seven days after all the dogs were removed from the facility.
“... it is expressly stated that the settlement is not an admission of liability or wrongdoing by Envigo with regard to its past operation of the Cumberland Facility,” the statement says. “As per the settlement agreement, the removal of all canines resolves all related civil and administrative complaints related to the Cumberland Facility.”
The beagles lived in cramped, unsanitary conditions and many have needed medical attention since being rescued.
Organizations across the United States have been taking the dogs in and getting them ready for adoption.
One shelter in Georgia welcomed a small group of beagles in June with peanut butter and Cheez Whiz. And Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recently adopted one of the beagles from an organization in California.
“Our Animal Rescue Team’s work to transfer these beagles is a milestone in a fight we’ve been waging for years,” Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said in a statement. “It’s ironic that these dogs were only spared from a lifetime of pain, suffering and isolation in testing labs because this breeding facility was cited for Animal Welfare Act violations. Most of them would have been sold and spent their short lives in laboratories.”
Beagles are often used by labs for testing in the development of medication and other scientific experiments, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
On average, around 60,000 dogs are sent to testing laboratories each year, according to the Humane Society. The organization called the rescue of the 4,000 beagles a “true story of triumph,” but also said that more must be done to end animal testing.
“Now the beagles’ next steps begin as they enjoy their new lease on life,” Miguel Abi-hassan, chief animal rescue, care and sanctuary officer for the Humane Society of the United States, said in a statement. “The (Humane Society of the United States) will continue the work of promoting alternatives to animal testing so that this antiquated practice may come to an end.”
This story was originally published September 2, 2022 at 4:01 PM with the headline "Last beagles rescued from Virginia facility up for adoption. Here’s what to know."