One month after 4,000 beagles were rescued from a Virginia research lab, the pups have arrived at animal shelters across the country and are waiting adoption.
As part of a court order, the beagles were rescued in July from where they were bred at the Envigo breeding and research facility in Cumberland in one of the largest canine rescue efforts in US history, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
Now they are being sent as far as California, Wyoming, Florida and Massachusetts in the hopes of finding their forever homes, WUSA9 reported.
The puppies were to be sold for use in pharmaceutical and biotech research, according to Envigo’s website.
The company states that animal welfare is one of the company’s top priorities, however federal inspections over the last two years showed that many of the dogs lived in deplorable conditions.
Investigators found malnourished, sick and injured beagles at the facility. The dogs were kept in cages where feces and food waste piled up, according to a federal complaint. More than 300 puppies died at the facility between January and July of last year.
Investigators additionally claimed the Envigo performed painful medical experiments on the pups — including euthanasia without sedatives, according to WUSA9.
Local Virginia-based nonprofit Homeward Trails Animal Rescue is helping with the massive undertaking of finding new homes for the dogs.
This past weekend, Homeward Trails hosted a “Suds and Netflix” night for the newly arrived dogs, who received their first ever bath before watching a movie, the outlet reported.
The six-week old puppies also paid a visit to some senior citizens at a nursing home this week in Fairfax County, Virginia.
