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

CUMBERLAND, VA — Thousands of beagles will soon be eligible for adoption after a judge approved a plan to transfer the animals from a Virginia breeding facility to shelters, according to multiple reports.

The plan to put nearly 4,000 beagles up for adoption came from a civil case the federal government initiated earlier this year against Envigo RMS, the company that owns and operates a facility in Cumberland that breeds beagles for medical research, The Associated Press reported.

The company was accused of numerous animal welfare violations, according to The AP, which prompted a judge to impose restrictions on the facility.

Company officials in June announced plans to close the facility, The AP reported.

The plan approved this week calls for the U.S. Humane Society to remove all beagles from the Cumberland facility. The animals will then be moved to shelters, where they will be put up for adoption.

According to a report by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Envigo will pay the Humane Society to offset the costs of transporting and caring for the animals. Envigo will pay a $100 fee per beagle and $150 per nursing mother and litter under 8 weeks.

"Virginia is for dog lovers today," Republican Sen. Bill Stanley said in a statement to the Times-Dispatch. Stanley was part of a group of Virginia lawmakers that sponsored legislation to protect dogs and cats at research facilities.

Stanley told the Times-Dispatch that anyone who wants to get on a list to adopt a beagle from Envigo should call his office at 540-721-6028.