1 month ago
Photos by: HSUS
THE Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) marks the first anniversary of its epic operation to eliminate nearly 4,000 beagles from a mass breeding facility in Virginia owned by Envigo.
THE US Department of Justice sued the company after receiving several Animal Welfare Act violations for issues such as inadequate veterinary care, insufficient food and inhumane euthanasia practices at the facility. Without this historic transfer, many of these dogs would have been destined for animal testing laboratories. Instead, HSUS placed them with more than 100 shelter and rescue partners across the country to find them loving homes. The farm is now closed.
Dogs like Franny, who spent her life in Envigo forced to raise puppies to be sold to laboratories, and Enzo, a young puppy probably destined for a laboratory, are among the beagles who have highlighted the importance of this major operation. Both Franny and Enzo were adopted by HSUS staff members. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, adopted a breeding mother beagle named Momma Mia. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and his family adopted a puppy named Morty.
“These dogs have spent the last year learning to walk on a leash, finding the most comfortable spot on the couch and becoming valuable family members in their loving home,” said the president and CEO. management of HSUS Kitty Block. “Dogs used in laboratories generally live short and painful lives. It’s heartbreaking to think what would have happened to these beagles if Envigo had been able to sell them to labs.
“Animal testing is undeniably cruel and produces misleading results, while non-animal models, such as organs-on-chips, computer modeling and human cell-based testing, prove better for animals and for humans. humans,” Block continued. “We were able to spare these lucky beagles from this fate, but more and more are being bred and sold to labs every day. It’s up to all of us to make the change.”
As thousands of families celebrate the first anniversary of adopting their beagle, the HSUS is doubling its efforts. efforts to ensure that no other company steps in to simply replace these dogs.
On average, almost 60,000 dogs are used in experiments each year in the United States and tens of thousands more are held in laboratory breeding facilities, the largest housing 25,000 dogs at a time. The defenders are calling state and federal officials end experiments on dogs and invest in science that causes no animal suffering.