FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Humane Society of Broward County will help 48 beagles rescued from a medical research facility in Virginia find new homes in South Florida.
The pups made the trip from Virginia and arrived late Thursday night.
4,000 beagles were rescued from unsafe conditions at a medical facility in Virginia last month. They came from the Envigo facility in Cumberland, Virginia.
“These were animals that came from a breeding facility that bred the dogs that would then sell them to research labs,” said Cherie Wachter, Humane Society of Broward County.
The transfer plan for the beagles came as a result of a lawsuit filed against Envigo by the Department of Justice in May, alleging Animal Welfare Act violations at the facility. Repeated federal inspections have resulted in dozens of violations, including findings that some dogs had been “euthanized” without first receiving anesthesia, that dogs had received inadequate veterinary care and insufficient food, and that they were living in unsanitary conditions.
“You need to do your research, look up online to see what companies do test on animals and what don’t,” said Wachter.
More than 1,000 applications were received by the Humane Society of Broward County for the dogs and no further adoption applications are being accepted.
“We received over a thousand applications in less than 24 hours, which is unbelievable,” said Wachter.
The Humane Society of Broward County is accepting donations on their website and many other dogs are available for adoption at the facility.
For more information about adopting a pet, click on this link.