MSPCA-Angell in Boston has worked with a Salem shelter to rescue 105 beagles from a Virginia research organization after inspectors found them living in dangerous conditions — in hot rooms, underfed and sometimes injured.
More than half of the beagles have been adopted since they were rescued last month from Envigo, a research and breeding facility in Cumberland, Va. The 51 remaining either need further medical attention or are too young. But once the dogs are in proper condition, MSPCA-Angell said they will be up for adoption. The agency said it has received inquiries from more than 800 people.
MSPCA-Angell worked with Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem to collect the dogs from Virginia, bring them to Massachusetts, and get them adopted.
“A number of dogs had pretty serious dental disease issues that were treated … And there was one dog that had a significant limp,” said Michael Keiley, the director of adoption centers and programs at MSPCA-Angell, in a phone interview. “These [beagles] are coming from a breeding facility. You would expect that those issues were addressed, and they weren’t. That’s really an overall concern for us.”
The beagles found at Envigo were “underfed, ill, injured and, in some cases, dead,” according to a New York Times article. Inspections of Envigo revealed that the facility was breaching several federal regulations resulting in a search warrant. After the conditions were discovered in May, a complaint was filed to a federal court in the Western District of Virginia. Last week, a federal judge approved a plan to save about 4,000 beagles from Envigo, according to the Times article.
Research was conducted on the beagles in punishing conditions that threatened their health. Some dogs were being kept in rooms without air conditioning, where temperatures climbed over 90 degrees, according to the Times article. Keiley said that some dogs didn’t receive medical attention, even when they were suffering from serious injuries such as broken paws.
MSPCA-Angell is lobbying for state legislation, colloquially referred to as “the beagle bill,” to protect animals used for research and the bill is under consideration by the Massachusetts Legislature. Currently, animals used for research have no protection under federal law after a research project ends, according to the MSPCA website. This results in some animals being needlessly euthanized when their time in the laboratory concludes.
According to the New York Times report, not only was Envigo euthanizing beagles, but it was doing so inhumanely: “… Beagles who needed to be put down did not receive anesthesia before being euthanized via an injection to the heart muscle,” the Times story said.
MSPCA-Angell said it hopes the “beagle bill” will help animals used in research by opening the door to adoption into safe and loving families. The bill passed the Massachusetts Senate Monday, but needs to go back to the House before it can be signed into law or vetoed by Governor Charlie Baker.
Keiley emphasized the loving and resilient nature of the beagles, despite the terrible conditions they endured in the Virginia facility. He said he couldn’t help but remember the affection the beagles showed him and his colleagues when they brought the dogs in.
“We never expect that [the dogs] would have the ability to trust and love because we shouldn’t expect that from them with what they’ve gone through,” said Keiley. “But they always do. And I think that’s a testament to why animals are so important to our lives and why we need to really protect them.”
Katie Mogg can be reached at katie.mogg@globe.com.
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