16 Beagles Rescued From Breeding Facility Arrive At Fairfax Shelter

FAIR OAKS, VA — Sixteen of the 4,000 beagles rescued in July from a breeding facility in Cumberland, Virginia will soon be available for adoption at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter.

"It's a historic moment in animal welfare for so many reasons," said shelter Director Reasa Currier on Monday. "Four thousand animals being rescued from a facility is incredible, and it's taken all of our industry partners working together, the Humane Society of the United States, and then hundreds of shelters and rescues across the country have come in and stepped up to support this effort."

On July 22, a federal judge permanently barred Envigo from "any activity requiring [a federal Animal Welfare Act] license" at the company's Cumberland beagle-breeding factory and laboratory, including breeding and raising dogs for sale and experimenting on animals.

"The dogs in this facility were kept in filthy prison-like conditions and were hungry, sick, mistreated, and in some cases, dead. Those who were able-bodied were headed for testing labs and they didn't know how to play," the Humane Society said. "But after this large rescue operation, ALL of these beagles are set to be released to loving owners for new lives of grassy yards, couches, and walks!"

The massive rescue effort also shines a light on what's going on behind closed doors in regards to animal research, according to Currier, who used to work for the Humane Society.

Related: 4,000 Research Beagles Head For New Homes After Judge OKs Adoption

"It's something that until you see these animals and know they were bound for a life in a laboratory, and now they have this whole new chapter as pets," she said. "They're loving, they're affectionate, they're social, and they deserve to be pets. It's an opportunity for all of us to think as a country what our values are in terms of animal research."

On Monday, the shelter invited members of the press and county officials to drop by its Fair Oaks facility and meet the beagles.

"I really wanted to publicize not just the fact that we had these beagles here, but also let people know that that we have all sorts of other animals ready for adoption," said Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn. "Last week, 66 animals were adopted out of the shelter — cats, dogs, rabbits. I just wanted to remind everybody who might be looking for a pet that this is a great place to find your next new dog."

Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill stopped by to lend his support to Currier, who took over as shelter director in January.

"Whenever she has events, we come out to support her as well as her team and her employees," he said. "Our employees have been absolutely fantastic during the pandemic, and these are the kind of events that she's brought on with her new role."

Even though the Fairfax County shelter currently has 200 animals available for adoption, Currier was confident that through the strength of her staff and the support of the community the shelter would be able to handle the influx of a 16 new dogs.

"We have so much support from our community in terms of fosters and volunteers, we are positioned to to accommodate influxes of animals," she said. "We have unfortunately had hoarding situations before that we had to handle and we have supported other communities in the mid Atlantic area with hoarding situations and an influx of animals."

Related: VA Beagles Bred For Research Get Spa Day, Head To New Homes

The beagles range in age from 3 months to past 6 years of age. The six puppies are male and six of the adult dogs are female, some of whom may be pregnant, according to Currier.

Once the beagles have been medically cleared, they'll be listed on the shelter's website and available for members of the public to adopt.

"They can come in and meet one of the beagles," Currier said. "We will provide adoption counseling and they can fill out an application and everything from start to finish takes about an hour. That same day, you can walk home with a new family member."

The Fairfax County Animal Shelter is located at 4500 West Ox Road in Fairfax. It is open 12-5 p.m., on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 12-7 p.m., on Thursdays and Fridays, and 11 a.m..-5 p.m., on Saturdays and Sundays. The shelter is closed on Mondays. More information about the adoption process and what animals are available to adopt can be found on the shelter's website.