SPCA of Westchester rescues beagles from Virginia breeding facility

Nearly a dozen of the 4,000 beagles rescued from a breeding facility in Virginia are temporarily calling the SPCA of Westchester home.

Jonathan Gordon

Aug 26, 2022, 12:13 AM

Updated 701 days ago

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Nearly a dozen of the 4,000 beagles rescued from a breeding facility in Virginia are temporarily calling the SPCA of Westchester home.
The center, located in Briarcliff Manor, took in 10 of these adorable pups on Wednesday as they prepare to give them a second chance in life.
"They're going to need a lot of love. They're going to need a lot of patience. They haven't gotten to be dogs yet so this is all new to them," said Lisa Bonanno, director of development at the SPCA of Westchester.
In May, the United States filed a lawsuit against Envigo RMS alleging the company was breeding beagles en masse and housing them in inhumane conditions before selling them to labs for medical testing.
On June 15, the federal government and Envigo RMS reached a deal to transfer the 4,000 dogs housed at the Cumberland, Virginia facility to shelters where they can be adopted and to close the facility.
According to court documents, Envigo will cover a monetary fee for each dog to help defray the costs to the shelters of preparing the beagles for adoption.
"You kind of think 'Oh, they used to do that you know, back then.' You don't imagine that today that's something that still goes on and sadly what we saw it very much does," said Bonanno.
The SPCA of Westchester is just one of a handful of sheltersin New York to rescue innocent puppies along with Compassionate Animal Rescue Efforts of Dutchess County in Wappingers Falls and the BeFreegle Foundation in Putnam Valley.
"We can't wait to you know, work more with these guys and I know we're going to find them great homes and they're going to get to live their best life which is why we're here and that's what we like to do," said Bonanno.
All 10 pups are 11-month-old males of different temperaments who are adjusting to a more normal life filled with toys, treats and some positive human interactions.
Over the coming days, they'll all get checked by a vet though SPCA of Westchester officials say they look in pretty good shape. The litter will then work with trainers and volunteers to get them ready for their new lives in a loving home.
The SPCA of Westchester will start holding adoption interviews, along with meet-and-greets in the coming weeks.
Officials expect a large number of people will have interest in this particular litter but remind potential adopters they have 60 to 70 other dogs including other beagles in the shelter that need loving homes too.
MORE: Check out Jonathan Gordon's Instagram of his visit.
MORE: Check out Jonathan Gordon's Facebook Live on the dogs



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