October 17, 2022
There’s been nothing, ever, like this. Just the sheer volume of dogs, or really, any animal.
The Humane Society’s president and CEO, Kitty Block. In one of the most historic canine rescue operations, nearly 4,000 dogs were freed from a beagle-breeding company in Virginia.
Background: Envigo, a breeding company, would breed beagles for research purposes – most commonly for the global animal testing market – and sell them to companies. In July 2022, Envigo reached a settlement with the federal government after a series of investigations and lawsuits, and the company was shut down. Most, if not all, of the dogs had severe physical or emotional damage when freed.
Why It Matters: The nearly 4,000 dogs in the facility were rescued by the U.S. Humane Society. It is the biggest rescue operation ever conducted by the Humane Society. Since July, all of the beagles have been adopted by people across the country (those who adopted the beagles include Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as well as the Governor of New Jersey).
Profit, pain and puppies: Inside the rescue of nearly 4,000 beagles (The Washington Post)
by Jenna Lee,
