Christ Yoder
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If you’re looking to adopt a four-legged friend, now might be the perfect time, especially if you’re a fan of beagles.
About 200 of the adorable dogs have arrived at shelters in Southern California, after a rescue at a Virginia breeding lab accused of animal abuse left thousands of beagles in need of better homes.
Humane Society of the United States Members and volunteers of the HSUS Animal Rescue Team interact with beagles at the organization’s Care and Rehabilitation Center in Maryland Thursday, July 21, 2022, after the organization removed a group of 201 beagles as part of a plan to transfer the Envigo RMS LLC facility to Cumberland, VIRGINIA. The Department of Justice asked the Humane Society of the United States to assume responsibility for coordinating the placement of approximately 4,000 beagles from Envigo, who bred dogs for sale to animal testing labs. (Kevin Wolf/AP Images for HSUS)
This rescue operation made national headlines last week. Several animal rescue organizations “have embarked on a historic operation” to rescue approximately 4,000 dogs from a Cumberland, Va. facility owned and operated by Envigo RMS LLC, according to a statement from the Humane Society of the United. Statements on the mission.
Envigo bred dogs to be sold to experimental labs, and the company is currently the subject of a lawsuit from the US Department of Justice.
The lawsuit, filed in May this year, alleges a number of animal welfare law violations.
“Government inspectors discovered beagles were being killed there instead of receiving veterinary care for easily treatable conditions; nursing mother beagles were denied food; the food they received contained maggots, mold and feces; and over an eight-week period, 25 beagle puppies died from exposure to cold,” the Humane Society said.
But now the first of those 4,000 dogs and puppies has been removed from the facility.
“Despite the long day, the puppies perked up and immediately started bouncing around their kennels and playing as soon as they settled in,” said Jessica Johnson, Senior Animal Rescue Team Manager for the Humane Society, in the press release. “For these resilient pups, I hope their ear tattoos are the only reminders of their past.”
The first transfer group contains 432 beagles, according to the Humane Society statement. These beagles will be moved to animal shelters in Virginia, Wyoming and Southern California.
Dozens of dogs are set to find forever homes after being released by a medical facility
Future transfer groups will go to these and other shelters in partnership with the Humane Society to save the thousands of beagles at the facility.
From there, shelter workers will help them find safe and loving homes.
Priceless Pet Rescue, the SoCal animal rescue organization helping the first transfer group, has taken in “nearly 200 beagles who will return to California with us,” according to a Facebook post.
“This is a huge mission, and we can’t thank our drivers enough, the entire team at home, and most importantly – you, who are helping to make this possible,” Priceless Pet Rescue said in the Thursday, July 21 post. . “These missions take so much planning, hard work, stress and above all teamwork. We are grateful to the Humane Society for stepping in and managing the dispersal of all dogs and making sure they go to safe, loving, forever homes instead of the inevitable.”
Humane Society of the United States Members and volunteers of the HSUS Animal Rescue Team welcome beagles to the organization’s Care and Rehabilitation Center in Maryland on Thursday, July 21, 2022, after the organization removed a group of 201 beagles in as part of a plan to transfer the facility from Envigo RMS LLC to Cumberland, VA. The Department of Justice asked the Humane Society of the United States to assume responsibility for coordinating the placement of approximately 4,000 beagles from Envigo, who bred dogs for sale to animal testing labs. (Kevin Wolf/AP Images for HSUS)
Another post, shared on July 24, confirmed that the dogs had arrived safely in Southern California.
According to this post, the dogs spent “over 100 hours crossing the country” to get to SoCal.
“It has been so rewarding to settle these puppies and direct them to new foster homes to give them all the love, attention and care they deserve before they find forever families,” reads -on partly in the message.
Priceless Pet Rescue has no-kill animal shelters in Chino Hills, Claremont and Costa Mesa, according to its website.
Further up the California coast in Rancho Santa Fe, the Helen Woodward Animal Sanctuary also took in some of the puppies.
“These dogs have been neglected the love, proper care, affection and socialization that companion dogs should receive because the facility they came from has committed multiple animal welfare violations,” says the non-profit organization on a web page about the rescue operation. “That’s why we’re stepping in to bring dozens of these beagles closer to their forever happiness.”
The Helen Woodward Animal Sanctuary has taken in approximately 45 beagles.
For more information on the 4,000 rescued beagles and the Humane Society’s operation to help them, see this website.
