clear the shelters

100+ Beagles Rescued From Virginia Breeding Facility to Arrive in San Diego

50 dogs will be placed in foster care by the San Diego Humane Society and the remainder of the beagles will be placed with rescue partners PAWS of Coronado and the Rancho Coastal Humane Society

Close-up of a beagle looking away while standing on rock.
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More than 100 beagles who were rescued from a breeding facility in Virginia will be arriving in San Diego this week – their first step toward healing and eventually, adoption.

The San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) is taking in the beagles for much-needed care and love before they’re ready to be placed in their forever homes. The pups will arrive at Gillespie Field via a Greater Goods Charities Flight on Wednesday and then be transported to the Humane Society’s El Cajon Campus. Once there, the dogs will undergo intake and health exams.

“For our staff and volunteers, this day could not come soon enough,” San Diego Humane Society President and CEO, Dr. Gary Weitzman, said in a statement. “These beagles deserve this second chance and we’re very glad to be able to open our doors to them, just as we will soon ask our community to do,” Weitzman continued in his statement.

After receiving the necessary care, 50 dogs will be placed in foster care by SDHS and the remainder of the beagles will be placed with rescue partners PAWS of Coronado and the Rancho Coastal Humane Society.

The pups are coming from a facility run by Envigo, which is now facing a lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act. The lawsuit states the facility bred the dogs and sold them to laboratories for experimentation.

According to the complaint, the facility had up to 5,000 beagles since July 2021. About 4,000 dogs in total will be removed.

43 of roughly 4,000 beagles rescued from a breeding facility in Virginia have been brought to San Diego to find their forever homes. NBC 7's Dana Williams met with the foster families to see how the beagles are adjusting to life outside of cages.
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