4,000 dogs rescued from Virginia breeding facility will go up for adoption

RICHMOND, Va. — A federal judge in Virginia has approved a plan to transfer the ownership and care of thousands of dogs from a breeding facility to animal shelters so that the animals can be adopted into homes.

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Envigo, a dog breeding facility in Virginia, was sued by federal officials in May over animal welfare concerns. Federal inspections dating back to 2019 found dozens of violations, including dogs receiving poor medical care, lack of food, and some dogs “had been euthanized without first receiving anesthesia.” At the time the case was filed, 145 beagles had been seized from the property, as we reported at the time.

Envigo and the Humane Society of the United States reached a joint agreement to transfer ownership of the approximately 4,000 beagles from the company to local shelters to they can be adopted into permanent homes. Under the agreement, Envigo will pay the Humane Society $100 for each dog and $150 for each nursing mother and litter at the time of transfer. That money will then be applied to defray the costs of preparing the beagles for adoption by the local shelters.

The adoption plan was reached after the judge blocked Envigo from continuing to sell more than 2,000 beagles to fulfill research contracts for a sister company, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

“Envigo’s surviving victims will soon be given the opportunity to have what every dog deserves — the freedom to enjoy life, love, and respect for their individuality as members of a family home,” Daphna Nachminovitch, PETA senior vice president of cruelty investigations, said in a statement.

Envigo had previously said that it would close its facility, WRIC reported.

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