Humane Society more than halfway finished transferring 4,000 rescued beagles

(Gray News/TMX) – The Humane Society of the United States is more than halfway finished finding new homes for nearly 4,000 beagles rescued from a Virginia facility that bred the dogs to be sold to laboratories for animal experimentation.

Envigo, a private contract research organization, had a lawsuit filed against it by the Department of Justice that alleged the company violated the Animal Welfare Act at the breeding facility in Cumberland, Virginia.

Inspections conducted by federal agencies revealed inadequate veterinary care, insufficient food, unsanitary conditions and some cases of dogs that were euthanized without anesthesia.

The parent company, Inotive Inc., announced in June it would close the breeding facility.

The Humane Society was then given sole responsibility for rescuing the approximately 4,000 beagles in a period of 60 days after the transfer plan proposed by the DOJ was approved by the District Court for the Western District of Virginia.

In a release, the chief animal rescue, care and sanctuary officer of the Humane Society said the organization was grateful to give the beagles a new life after they spent their time in the breeding facility “riddled with Animal Welfare Act violations.”

During the transfer process, the beagles have been moved in batches, and the Humane Society has partnered with additional animal welfare organizations to rehabilitate and adopt the dogs out.