'Welcome to freedom': Beagles rescued from animal testing lab in US get new lease on life in Canada

Three beagles who spent their entire lives in a laboratory in the United States got a new lease on life after they were rescued from captivity and transported to Canada, where they were adopted.

Nik, Axel and Otis were at an unnamed laboratory in the U.S. when they were rescued by The Beagle Alliance, a charity organization based in Winnipeg, Canada. Their mission is to re-home animals subjected to experimental research and situations of abuse and neglect to give them a second chance at life, according to their website.

Executive Director of The Beagle Alliance, Lori Cohen, told USA TODAY that her organization has a network of rescue partners across North America which work collectively to rescue animals out of labs. It was through this network they found the three beagles and rescued them.

However, she added she cannot reveal where the beagles were rescued from.

The beagles made a pit stop in Minnesota for a quick break, where they garnered attention by local media.

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Dogs suffer from anxiety and PTSD too

Cohen explained that dogs born and bred for animal testing live in isolation and require a lot of care and effort to be integrated into domestic life. They have to learn how to be dogs.

"These three weren't very socialized, which is the norm for animals in research," Cohen shared. "They really don't live the life of a dog. They're not social with each other either. They don't know how to walk on a leash. They're very unsure of how to play with toys, and most of them have PTSD and anxiety in varying degrees."

Cohen shared that all three beagles are approximately three years old and are fortunately doing alright physically. They have received medical clearance to cross the border and go into Canada.

"Really the concerns lie years ahead," Cohen shared. "We are not privy to what happens to them in a laboratory. We don't know what kind of testing was done to them. So, we just watch for health concerns going forward."

The Beagle Alliance has helped 52 animals since it was set up in May 2022. It is a foster-based rescue, which means they go straight into foster homes after their rescue.

Video footage shared above shows the beagles hesitant and nervous to come out of their cages upon rescue.

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Why are beagles used in animal testing?

On why beagles are the choice of breed in animal testing, Cohen said that it is because beagles are very resilient and forgiving.

"We've been told by people in laboratories that they're used because they're very resilient. They're docile. They don't bite back. They're very forgiving, and unfortunately, they fit easily into a cage," Cohen shared. "Beagles are bred for animal testing. They are purchased by laboratories from specific breeders who breed for that purpose and so many are bred right into testing."

Animal testing

Cohen said that most Canadians are unaware of animal testing in Canada because "it's kind of secretive and we have no federal legislation here." She added that animal protection laws in Canada are quite lax as compared to the U.S., where laboratories are more regulated.

On average, nearly 60,000 dogs are used in experiments each year in the United States, with more than 250 institutions reporting using dogs in experiments, according to the Humane Society. These institutions include chemical, pesticide and drug companies, public and private universities, community and technical schools, government-owned facilities, Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities and hospitals.

Dogs are used to test a variety of products from drugs and medical devices to pesticides, insect repellent, and rat poison. They are also used in many types of biomedical experiments, including cardiac, neurological, respiratory and dental experiments.

While the three beagles were lucky enough to have made it out alive, those who do not make it out of research labs are euthanized once testing is over, Cohen shared.

The Humane Society adds that most dogs used in these kinds of tests are eventually killed so that their tissue and organs can be examined.

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Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.