Spanish Beagles See Sun for First Time
Seventy-two beagles between the ages of 4 and 7 were recently released from a testing laboratory in Spain. Forty of the beagles arrived in Los Angeles last week hoping to be adopted. All of the dogs have been caged their entire lives and none had ever seen sunlight until now. The laboratory where they were rescued specializes in testing household, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products for other corporations. Many testing labs use beagles because their docile natures make them compliant test subjects and their small size helps keep feeding and housing costs down.
The dogs were released to The Beagle Freedom Project, begun by the Animal Rescue Media Education (ARME) organization in December 2010. The group specializes in re-homing laboratory animals through rescue and public education. Thirty-two of the beagles rescued in Spain have already been adopted in Europe and the rest are looking for new homes in Los Angeles. Click here if you are interested in fostering or adopting a rescue beagle or donating to ARME.
