Beagles Rescued From Lab-Testing Breeding Facility Arrive In San Diego

SAN DIEGO, CA — Dozens of beagles arrived in San Diego over the weekend after being rescued from a breeding and research facility in Virginia.

San Diego-based Helen Woodward Animal Center took in 43 beagles rescued from the Envigo facility, which bred the dogs for medical research. The pups were among a group of 432 beagles that were the first to be removed from roughly 4,000 beagles at the facility in Cumberland, Virginia.

The Humane Society of the United States has spearheaded the effort to transfer the dogs from the facility to shelters across the country in what has been called a "historic operation."

"This has been a challenging year for many shelters and we know that trying to find organizations that have the room for such a large number of canines is tough," said Hella Tyler, adoption services director at Helen Woodward Animal Center. "We are grateful to have such an extraordinary group of foster families that can help us save these lives."

A months-long investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found more than 70 Animal Welfare Act violations at Envigo. The beagles were released from the facility after the investigation found the dogs were forced to live in confined, unsanitary and inhumane conditions that included unsafe temperatures and unneeded euthanizing, some without anesthesia, according to Helen Woodward Animal Center.

Mortality records showed more than 300 puppy deaths from Jan. 1, 2001 to July 22, 2021 at Envigo that were attributed to unknown causes. The investigation found the facility did not take additional steps to determine the causes in order to prevent similar deaths in the future.

"These puppies really need love and human kindness to show them all of the wonderful things a normal puppy's life should provide," Tyler said. "We couldn't be more thrilled to assist with this rescue."

The beagles were examined and then placed in foster homes. They will be spayed and neutered. Some dogs could be up for adoption at the animal shelter in Rancho Santa Fe as soon as next weekend, according to Helen Woodward Animal Center.

"All 43 beagles are in foster homes currently," Helen Woodward Animal Center spokesperson Jessica Gercke told Patch. "We wanted to make sure that they immediately began the process of becoming socialized and comfortable in a loving family setting. All dogs have been doing great and have been extremely loving and delighted to discover new things such as grass, stairs, couches and even toys."

To learn how to become a foster family, visit animalcenter.org/foster. To learn more, visit animalcenter.org/beaglerescue.