A federal judge in Lynchburg, Virginia, has okayed a plan to transfer 4,000 beagles from an Envigo breeder mill so they can be adopted.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported July 5:
Envigo, the Humane Society and the U.S. government presented the joint plan after U.S. District Judge Norman Moon refused Envigo’s bids for permission to sell more than 2,000 beagles to fulfill a sister company’s research contracts.
Envigo will pay the Humane Society a $100 fee per beagle and $150 per nursing mother and litter under 8 weeks. The Humane Society will transmit the fees to shelters in order to defray the costs of preparing the beagles for adoption.
Meanwhile, Inotov, which is Envigo’s parent company, recently said it would be shuttering Envigo’s mill that has been accused of violating the Animal Welfare Act.
About 4,000 beagles were rescued from a breeding and research facility in Virginia that broke regulations and left the animals underfed, ill and injured.
Now the authorities have about two months to find the dogs new homes.https://t.co/8Bm8G65IJb pic.twitter.com/osrYYpr6lr
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 12, 2022
Video footage showed the dogs in distressing situations. Some of them appeared to be in poor health, while others were kept from their food:
In a press release Thursday, the Humane Society said, “Now that the Court has approved the joint transfer plan, we and our partners are preparing to move quickly to place these beagles in loving homes.”
Beagles were described as being friendly, curious, and merry, according to the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) website:
Beagles are loving and lovable, happy, and companionable; all qualities that make them excellent family dogs. No wonder that for years the Beagle has been the most popular hound dog among American pet owners. These are curious, clever, and energetic hounds who require plenty of playtime.
Per the recent agreement, the Humane Society took responsibility for transferring the dogs from the Cumberland site and for their placement with shelters and rescues for adoption.
“The Humane Society agreed that it will place as many beagles as possible with shelters on the East Coast and in the Midwest and that beagles under 8 weeks will be transported with their mothers,” the Times-Dispatch report said.
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