Tag: Beagle

Prince Harry and Meghan Adopt Beagle Rescued from Breeding Facility

Once upon a time, a Beagle born in a breeding facility was doomed to spend her life having puppies to be used for medical research. But along came the Humane Society of the United States, which rescued the 7-year-old dog (along with 4,000 other Beagles) from that terrible, horrible place. And then that lucky Beagle, named Mia, was adopted by royalty. Mia and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex lived happily ever after.

“The duchess called me personally,” Shannon Keith, director of the nonprofit Beagle Freedom Project, told the Los Angeles Times. “She calls on my cell with no Caller ID and says, ‘Hey Shannon, this is Meghan.’ We talked for 30 minutes, and I thought, ‘Is this Megan Fox?'”

Nope, it was the Duchess of Sussex, who along with her husband had heard about the rescued Beagles. They wanted to provide a forever home for one of them on their 7-acre Montecito, Calif., estate. The Duke and Duchess paid a super-secret visit to Keith at her home in Valley Village, Calif., where they played with Mia in the backyard.

“The Duchess is holding Mia and was like, ‘We’re adopting her,'” Keith told the Los Angeles Times. “She was like, ‘No, we don’t want a Christmas puppy. We want ones we can help who are older.'” Mia, at 7 years old, is considered a senior. She has arthritis and a mass under her chin.

Before whisking Mia off to her fabulous forever home, Prince Harry asked Keith if the Beagle had a favorite toy. The Duke and Duchess flipped over a box filled with dog toys, and Mia chose a fox toy that she’d played with as she traveled across the country from Virginia to California.

“Okay, now we can go home,” Harry said.

Horrific Conditions at the Envigo Breeding Facility

According to the Beagle Freedom Project’s website, it took in Mia and her eight puppies after an overcrowded animal shelter asked for help. The BFP’s Shelter Safeguard program helps shelters rehome laboratory testing survivors.

During a historic rescue mission in June, the Humane Society of the United States removed about 4,000 beagles from Envigo, a facility in Virginia that bred dogs for medical research. The Beagles were removed after a lawsuit by the Department of Justice described horrific violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

Beagles with treatable medical conditions were being euthanized, some without first being given anesthesia. The meager amount of food provided to the dogs was full of mold and maggots. Over a two-month period, 25 puppies died from cold temperatures; over seven months, 300 dogs died from “unknown causes.”

“Basically, it’s a breeding prison,” Keith told the Los Angeles Times. “Not only were the issues not corrected after inspectors went, but they were getting worse.”

Non-Royals Want the Rescued Beagles, Too

The good news is that many of the Beagles, like Mia, have found loving forever homes. There’s currently a waiting list of about 1,000 potential adopters for the 25 dogs and puppies taken in by the Beagle Freedom Project, Keith told the Los Angeles Times.

If you’re interested in joining the Duke and Duchess by adopting a rescued Beagle, they have been transported to animal shelters and rescue organizations across the country—so it’s very likely there’s one near you. The Beagle Freedom Project offers a guide on how to care for these special dogs.

Here’s hoping every one of those Beagles finds a forever home in which they’ll live happily ever after. The End.

To help the Beagle Freedom Project save more lives, you can make a donation via their website.

Photo: “Harry Meghan” by dackelprincess is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

RIP Daniel, Miracle Beagle Who Survived a Gas Chamber in 2011

Along with several other dogs doomed to the same fate, a 5-year-old stray Beagle was placed inside the gas chamber at an Alabama animal shelter 10 years ago.

An animal control officer turned on the gas and then returned 17 minutes later to remove the bodies of dogs who’d just suffered horrible deaths.

When he opened the door, imagine his surprise when the Beagle wobbled out, wagging his tail.

Instead of having to return to the gas chamber, the miracle dog was named Daniel, after the Bible figure who escaped the lion’s den. He was flown by the rescue organization Pilots N Paws to Eleventh Hour Rescue in New Jersey, where he had a better chance of being adopted.

It didn’t take long for the friendly Beagle to find a loving forever home. He was adopted by the Dwyer family, who cared for Daniel for nearly a decade. Last month, Daniel was diagnosed with the cancer hemangiosarcoma, which had spread to his lungs. Sadly, there was no miracle for Daniel this time around. He died on June 29.

But what an amazing 10 years that lucky dog had! I wrote about many amazing animals for i Love Dogs, and Daniel was one of my favorites. Not only did he become a celebrity, appearing on many TV shows and on a float in the 2014 Tournament of Roses Parade, but he also became a “spokesdog” against the cruelty of using gas chambers to euthanize shelter animals.

At the time that Daniel was adopted, these torture chambers were used in 31 states. In 2014, gas chambers were banned in Pennsylvania thanks to “Daniel’s Law,” named in his honor. As of 2020, gas chambers were still actively used in only four states: Missouri, Ohio, Utah and Wyoming.

Fortunately, legislation to outlaw gas chambers is currently being considered in Utah and Wyoming. Two weeks before Daniel died, the last remaining gas chamber in Ohio was dismantled.

Gas chambers, which use carbon monoxide to painfully kill unwanted shelter animals, are considered inhumane by most animal welfare groups and, I would hope, anyone with a conscience.

“Animals are placed into a small, dark box, one that’s sometimes full of the smells of the animals who came before them — many of whom may have urinated or defecated before they died,” notes the Humane Society of the United States. “For several minutes, they may be in the box, terrified, clawing and calling for a way out. They may struggle for air or begin convulsing before finally losing consciousness.”

If you want to honor Daniel’s life, please consider making a donation to Eleventh Hour Rescue, Pilots N Paws, or your local animal shelter or rescue group. If you live in Wyoming or Utah, contact your representatives and urge them to pass laws banning the use gas chambers in animal shelters.

“After getting his second chance, Daniel was a little Beagle with a big mission to help save the lives of other homeless animals,” Eleventh Hour Rescue wrote on its Facebook page June 29. “His life truly was spared for a greater purpose and our rescue was honored to play a part in his story.” Amen.

Photo: PawshPal/YouTube

Beagle Who Fell Into Ice-Covered Pond Dies Saving Life of Owner

Usually when Sarah Bailey of Madison, Ala., took her Beagle, Olly, out to go potty at night, Olly would wait on the porch while Bailey grabbed her coat.

But Wednesday night, Olly walked off — and fell through the ice covering a pond in the apartment complex where they live.

“He was desperately trying to get out,” Bailey told WHNT. “The whole fight or flight kicked in.”

Olly was an abused rescue dog who’d required lots of training to overcome his fear of people. Bailey wasn’t about to let him die. She tried to grab his leash and pull him out of the freezing-cold water, but fell through the ice as well.

When Bailey’s 10-year-old daughter heard her cries to get help, she tried to help them herself — and also ended up in the water. She was able to climb out to safety.

Neighbors and Madison Fire & Rescue quickly showed up to save Bailey and Olly. Meanwhile, during what felt like an eternity to Bailey, Olly was saving her from drowning. “He put himself under the ice that was breaking underneath me and it kept it floating,” she told WHNT.

Tragically, her hero dog did not survive. “I was the only person he truly trusted because of the way he was abused and I feel like he was just saying thank you,” Bailey told WHNT.

After rescuing Bailey, Madison Fire & Rescue warned pet owners to keep their dogs away from ice-covered water. If your dog falls through the ice, don’t try to rescue your pet, they advised; it can take less than 15 minutes for exhaustion and unconsciousness to occur. Instead, you should call 911 and wait for help.

This is important advice, but for most pet owners, it’s easier said than done. As Bailey tearfully told WHNT, “I couldn’t watch him die.”

Virginia Man Tries to Rehome Dog(-Disliking Girlfriend) on Craigslist

“FREE TO ANY WILLING HOME” is the title of an ad posted on Craigslist earlier this week by someone in Roanoke, Va.

“My girlfriend doesn’t like my beagle Molly, so I have to rehome her,” the ad begins — as the blood of all dog-loving readers begins to boil.

“She is a purebred from a wealthy area and I have had her 4 years. She likes to play games. Not totally trained.”

By this point, most readers are really getting angry at the monster who posted this ad. But wait, there’s more!

“Has long hair, so she’s a little high maintenance, especially the nails, but she loves having them done. Stays up all night yapping but sleeps while I work. Only eats the best, most expensive food. Will NEVER greet you at the door after a long day or give you unconditional love when you’re down. Does not bite but she can be mean as hell!”

So what the heck is this story doing in the Awww category instead of Grr, where it belongs?

Read on.

“So … anyone interested in my 30 year old, selfish, wicked, gold-digging girlfriend? Come and get her! Me and my dog want her re-homed ASAP!!”

Ha ha ha! This dog lover’s Beagle isn’t going anywhere. It’s his girlfriend who’s getting the boot.

This clever ad is deservedly going viral after it was posted on Reddit. So far its writer has not been identified, but for you dog-lovin’ single ladies in the Roanoke area, he sounds like a real catch.

Photos via Imgur

Hundreds Want 35 Beagles Rescued from Southern California Hoarder

For every Beagle rescued this week from a suspected hoarder in Encinitas, Calif., there are about eight people eager to give the pooch a forever home.

“For these Beagles, the timing couldn’t be better. Beagles are in the spotlight,” Jim Silveira, president of the Rancho Coastal Humane Society (RCHS), said in a press release. He was referring to this year’s Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Best in Show winner, a Beagle named Miss P.

A total of 35 Beagles and six Pugs were brought to RCHS Monday by Four Paws Rescue after the dogs’ elderly owner told the organization she could no longer care for them. They range in age from puppies to adults.

And there may soon be 35 more Beagles available for adoption: a few of the rescued dogs are pregnant. Their puppies will be ready for forever homes in early June.

The Pugs have been taken in by Pug Rescue.

Silveira said the Beagles would be released by the shelter’s medical director “as soon as they’re examined, vaccinated, altered and pronounced to be in good health.”

Although they spent their lives locked up in kennels with little human interaction, the dogs seemed to be happy and healthy. Some had inner ear infections and others needed dental care.

Rebecca Stevens of Four Paws Rescue told CBS 8 that despite what it sounds like, the dogs had not been in a puppy-mill situation.

“These dogs lived in a clean environment. She just needed some help,” Stevens said. “It was a woman who loved dogs, and it just got away from her.”

According to the RCHS Facebook page, the approved applications have been entered into a lottery system, and the winners will be contacted by the end of the day today.

If you’re thinking about adopting a Beagle, the Beagle Dog Rescue Shelter Directory lists rescues across the country.

Photos via Facebook

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