Nearly 4,000 beagles have been rescued from a laboratory where drug experiments were being conducted on them.
Several beagle dogs are being transported to shelters in Illinois and Pennsylvania to undergo medical exams, vaccinations and other treatments after being kept in a facility in Cumberland, Virginia, where they were being bred allegedly for medical research.
On Tuesday, the Humane Society of the United States said the first group of pups was moved last month.
“I don’t think there is anyone on our team that has seen 4,000 dogs in one location at one time in their entire career,” said Audra Houghton, director for the Humane Society’s Animal Rescue team.
The dogs are being transitioned out of the facility after the federal government filed a civil lawsuit back in May against Envigo RMS, which owns and operates the facility. The court documents claim the business performed activities that violated the Animal Welfare Act.
Some of the actions that were considered violations included lack of care for the animals, unsuitable living conditions, and insufficient food, among other issues. An inspection report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture also highlighted 300 puppy deaths that were described as “unknown cases” that the facility never looked into.
