Fresh out of the washing tub, this little beagle now had a collar, a real name, and was about to put his paws on green grass for the very first time. He is one of thousands of beagles rescued from Envigo, a breeding and research facility in Virginia. He and more than 100 other beagles are safe thanks to Triangle Beagle Rescue.
Green Goblin wasn’t quite sure what would happen when a volunteer carried him outside and began to set him down. His tail gave a low, tiny wag as he hunched down on the foreign blades covering the ground below him. He sniffed and took a reluctant step. He sniffed again and took another step, his confidence growing with each paw he put forward.
Thanks to Triangle Beagle Rescue in North Carolina, along with the Humane Society of United States, Green Goblin was one of 79 dogs that would be experiencing all kinds of “firsts” in the next few days: first car rides, first treats, first walks, first time in a home and perhaps first loving snuggles.
Rescue Doubles in Size
This massive rescue was part of an operation by the Humane Society of the United States to remove 4,000 beagles from a massive breeding facility in Virginia. The HSUS says Envigo Laboratories bred the dogs to sell to other companies for animal testing. These dogs were kept in crowded kennels and never touched grass before!
Triangle Beagle Rescue doubled the size of its organization when it welcomed 79 of the 4,000 beagles to the Triangle on July 27, 2022. The work to make that happen took weeks of coordinating. Volunteers needed to recruit additional foster homes in order to take as many dogs as possible. They needed transportation to Virginia, extra crates, collars, name tags, leashes, towels, medication, pee pads, and a lot of manpower. (You can help by making a donation here.)
I was able to be there for just a few hours to document the arrival, naming, bathing, cleaning, and foster coordinating. Here is what the operation looked like at Sunny Acres Pet Resort last week.
See WRAL’s coverage of the beagles rescued from Envigo
Support for beagles rescued from Envigo
Check out Triangle Beagle Rescue on Facebook for updates on how the beagles are adjusting and when they will be available for adoption.
Come celebrate with us this October and December as I host two pet photo booths to help raise money for this amazing animal rescue group!
Fall Photo Booth at Beaglefest 2022 > October 15th at Lonerider Hideout in Wake Forest
Pet Photos with Santa Paws > December 3rd at Vicious Fishes in Apex.
See more of my volunteer work with Triangle Beagle Rescue and other animal rescue groups in Wake County.