Jordan Karlesson
In a despicable development that fortunately ended on a happy (and slobbery) note, a nonprofit saved 4,000 beagles destined for animal testing labs.
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The Humane Society of the United States announced Thursday that it rescued the beagles from a huge breeding facility. Federal court documents detailed “shocking violations” of the Animal Welfare Act occurring at the facility in Cumberland, Virginia.
The U.S. Department of Justice started to aid the Humane Society with its effort to save the dogs in May. Afterward, authorities requested a restraining order against Envigo RMS LLC. The company that breeds and sells animals for the purposes of scientific research.
A judge found enough evidence to support the government’s requested restraining order.
After the judge’s decision, the Human Society set out in July to remove the dogs from the Envigo facility. The nonprofit reclaimed the dogs in groups, completing its mission on Thursday with the remaining 312.
The organization additionally noted that 52 beagles would end up at the Humane Society of the United States’ care center. Afterward, the beagles would be movie to independent shelter and rescue orgnizations to find “loving homes,” Thursday’s statement said.
The History Of The Beagle Rescue
In July, the Humane Society started removing beagles from Envigo’s facility at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice. The transfer stemmed from a lawsuit that the DOJ filed in May, which alleged shocking violations of the Animal Welfare Act at the breeding facility.
Meanwhile, Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, commented on her organization’s achievement. She noted the transfer of the beagles marked a pivotal point in a long-running right with Envigo. Thousands of the dogs are now in 100 shelters and rescue centers in the U.S., according to Block.
“It’s ironic that these dogs [didn’t suffer] a lifetime of pain, suffering and isolation in testing labs because this breeding facility was cited for Animal Welfare Act violations,” Block said in Thursday’s statement.
The CEO said most people don’t know that scientists still test roughly 60,000 dogs in labs on an annual basis.
“We celebrate these lucky dogs going to loving homes, [but] we’re focused on creating a future where no dogs will face that kind of fate,” Block concluded.
Additionally, the Human Society issued a statement of its own.
“This is a true story of triumph and new beginnings for thousands of dogs,” it said. “Most of whom were once destined for a life of suffering and death because of laboratory testing.”
