After what is believed to be one of the largest dog rescue operations in U.S. history, over 4,000 beagles are seeking new homes.
The dogs were bred at a Virginia facility that subsequently sold them to laboratories for drug testing.
However, the company has been shut down due to abuses of animal rights, and organizations are on a mission to rehome the canines.
“Four thousand is a large number,” stated Kitty Block, the executive director of the Humane Society.
“It will take 60 days to remove all of these animals,” she told Reuters. “We’ll be working with our shelter and rescue partners around the country to find these canines permanent, loving homes.”
The Cumberland breeding facility, operated by Envigo RMS, was sued in May by the United States Department of Justice for various instances of animal cruelty.
Inspectors discovered that some dogs were killed instead of obtaining veterinarian care for treatable diseases. In addition, they were fed food containing maggots, mold, and feces, while other nursing women were denied sustenance.
In a separate incident, 25 puppies perished from exposure to the cold.
CBS News stated that, in response to the lawsuit, the firm denied the charges but claimed it will close the facility and place the dogs with the animal rights organization Humane Society.
The beagles are currently undergoing medical checks and vaccines before their adoption.
Bill Stanley, a state senator from Virginia, told Reuters that the rescue was the product of years of struggle.
“As the owner of two of these dogs, I can speak to their excellence,” he told Reuters. “I acquired two of these Envigo beagles in the years 2020 and 2021… I purchased those beagles because I did not want them used in experiments. And now I know that their siblings will not be subjected to experiments either.”
Some of the dogs have already been adopted throughout the United States, including 200 in southern California.
Many of the animals exhibit indications of trauma, and some of the puppies have never been touched or taught how to play, according to rehoming organizations.
