Unfortunately, more and more breeding facilities around the country have been accused of mistreatment of animals, and this Virginia-based one is no different. The breeding facility from Cumberland, VA was home to more than 4,000 beagles and they have all been rescued after Envigo breeding was accused of neglecting them.
The decision of intervention was approved by a federal judge and originally requested by The Department of Justice and the Humane Society of the United States. What follows is a quest of finding forever homes for 4,000 dogs, not an easy task when there are already many abandoned animals in shelters across the country. The poor beagles were bred by Envigo to be sold for companies in the pharmaceutical industry and for research purposes.
The investigators have found mistreated, sick, and malnourished dogs at the facility, even though Envigo denies any such action.
The dogs were kept in small cages, many even stacked in the same cage and more than 300 puppies died last year between January and July. This is such a cruel case of animal mistreatment and one that should raise awareness about breeding facilities and their true intentions.
Cassie Staubus signed up with the Beagle Freedom Project, a non-profit animal rescue, to foster some of these dogs once they’re released. She is willing to drive from Minnesota to Virginia to pick them up and help in the process of re-homing them. Ms. Staubus is already the owner of Stinky, a 6-year-old beagle, and two other dogs, so fostering is the best way for her to help since she already has a house full of pets, she said.
“They’re friendly, they’re happy, they enjoy life,” she said. “They love to cuddle, but then they say, ‘OK, I’m done,’ and they’ll go play around in the backyard out on the farm.”
