724.222.PETS

Local Animal Shelters Partnering to Save Lives Five organizations provide rescue and transport for 21 beagles from Virginia-based Envigo facility that surrendered up to 4,000 beagles

Contact:
Kelly Proudfit
Executive Director
Washington Area Humane Society
kelly@washingtonpashelter.org
724-470-9713

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Local Animal Shelters Partnering to Save Lives
Five organizations provide rescue and transport for 21 beagles from Virginia-based Envigo facility that surrendered up to 4,000 beagles

Pittsburgh, PA – Five local organizations have teamed up to transport 21 beagles to western Pennsylvania. The dogs were relocated from the Virginia-based Envigo facility that breeds beagles for the laboratory industry after an investigation conducted by the Humane Society of the United States resulted in the surrender of up to 4,000 dogs in July.

The cooperative rescue and transport were coordinated by staff at Animal Friends, Beaver County Humane Society, Butler County Humane Society, the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh (HARP) and Washington Area Humane Society. Through the combined efforts of the five organizations, the 21 beagles were transported from the Envigo facility located in Cumberland, VA to Pittsburgh, a 6 1/2 hour trip spanning approximately 350 miles.

The dogs arrived at HARP’s Northside campus on the evening of Monday, Aug. 8 where smaller groups then made their way to the other participating organizations. Each of the dogs will undergo a medical exam and will receive all appropriate vaccinations and will be spayed or neutered before being made available for adoption.

This initiative was so critical to the five participating organizations after a nationwide plea went out to shelters and rescue groups to assist with this case. Because western Pennsylvania has such a compassionate community that comes together in times of crisis, the staff and volunteers at Animal Friends, Beaver County Humane Society, Butler County Humane Society, the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh (HARP) and Washington Area Humane Society came together to make this lifesaving effort possible.

Community Note: Members of the community are encouraged to support the five organizations in a number of ways:

  • Donations
  • Adopt
    • While these dogs will not be immediately available for adoption, there are many other homeless pets waiting to find loving homes. You can view adoptable animals and check for availability of the dogs from this transport on each of the participating organizations’ websites.
  • Volunteers
    • Volunteers are always needed to provide support to these organizations. By volunteering your time or reaching out to inquire about fostering, you can make a difference in the lives of homeless animals as they wait to be adopted by a loving family!
  • Media Note:
    • Representatives from each of the participating organizations are available upon request for comments and additional information as needed:

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