Dozens of beagles who’ve lived in cages, who’ve never had a home and who’ve never stepped on grass will be flown to Gillespie Field in El Cajon on Aug. 31 and prepared to be put up for adoption.
The San Diego Humane Society said it is expecting more than 100 dogs as part of a total of 4,000 beagles taken in the largest animal rescue operation ever in the U.S. More than 75 shelters and rescues nationwide are working to find homes for the dogs.
An animal research breeding facility in Virginia agreed to release the dogs as part of a deal to settle a lawsuit alleging multiple welfare violations. The mass rescue of these beagles has opened up discussion once again about the ethics of animal research.
San Diego Humane Society President and CEO Gary Weitzman joined Midday Edition to talk about the beagles and whether newer scientific methods and technology might take the place of experimentation on animals
"Beagles are awesome dogs, that's why our very own Charles Shultz in California made the beagle America's dog with Snoopy, they're a great dog." Weitzman, a veterinarian, said.
Weitzman said once the beagles — which could range in age from 3 months to 7 years old — arrive in El Cajon Wednesday it will take about a week to prepare them for adoption.
"When we get them, we're going to get them vaccinated, we're going to get them cleaned up, we're going to look at them behaviorally, and then we're going to spay and neuter them so that they have everything that they need before they even get adopted," Weitzman said.
