Crammed into cages and severely underfed, 4,000 beagles at the breeding facility belonging to Envigo Research Models and Services Corp. (Envigo RMS) in Virginia were in desperate need of help. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) posted on their blog that “beagles there were being killed instead of receiving veterinary treatment for easily treated conditions; nursing mother beagles were denied food; the food that they did receive contained maggots, mold and feces; and over an eight-week period, 25 beagle puppies died from cold exposure.” Dedicated to bringing justice to these animals, the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) filed a lawsuit against Envigo RMS in May 2022, citing violations of the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (AWA); according to the DoJ’s official website, their Office of Public Affairs “alleged that Envigo RMS was failing to meet the AWA’s minimum standards for handling, housing, feeding, watering, sanitation and adequate veterinary care, among other requirements.” Thankfully, for the beagles deprived of the smell of fresh air, the DoJ was able to win their court case in July. While The Envigo Laboratory is still up and running, their breeding facility was shut down and, most importantly, the beagles were rescued. Seeking aid in relocating them, the DoJ approached the HSUS to lead the effort.
However, with nearly 4,000 rescued beagles left without homes, HSUS needed some help. As the HSUS primarily functions to advocate and lobby for animal rights, they lack a physical shelter with which to provide care for the dogs — especially since this was their biggest rescue in their 67-year long history. Kitty Block, HSUS’ President and Chief Executive shares in an interview with The Washington Post that “there’s been nothing, ever, like this. Just the sheer volume of dogs, or really, any animal.”
Lacking the facilities to house these dogs, the HSUS looked to animal shelters across the country for help… one of which just so happens to be our very own local animal shelter: The Westchester branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA Westchester).
SPCA Westchester is a local no-kill animal shelter that serves animals in need — not only from our community, but from across the globe. They care primarily for dogs and cats, providing them with a safe and comforting space until they find their forever home. While at the SPCA Westchester, the animals are able to adapt and learn what it is like to be loved and cared for. Greeley’s SPCA Club Co-President and junior, Cassidy Engel, supports their mission by “fundraising and raising awareness so that the animals can find homes and live their best lives.”
After construction of new facilities in 2021, the SPCA Westchester has begun offering even more comprehensive care to their four-legged companions. The former buildings at the shelter hadn’t been updated since the 1950s and, according to the SPCA’s website, were “cracked and crumbling.” Lisa Bonanno, Director of Development at the SPCA Westchester, shares that they almost looked like “the dog pound, and that is not who we are.” So, with the help of numerous donors, they were able to completely reconstruct their buildings, creating a modern home for the animals with more space and extensive services. Bonanno continues: “We really wanted it to be more of a community center where the animals were in more enriching spaces that were more comfortable and where their real personality would shine because then they’re going to find their best match and get adopted quicker… And now I feel like this really reflects who we are and what we do.”

After their renovations, the SPCA was more than equipped to help HSUS when they needed assistance with their beagle rescue in August. Almost immediately after being asked, Lisa Bonanno set out with her husband to Virginia to pick up ten of the beagles from the laboratory. The rest of the 4,000 beagles were helped by 120 other shelters across 29 different states, including NY shelters BeFreegle Foundation and Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation.
Bonanno shares that Envigo RMS’ facility “was very eerie… you can’t see anything and you can’t really hear anything either, so if you drove by it, there’s no signage that it’s a breeding facility or part of the lab.” This ambiguity is exactly why the facility was able to remain undiscovered. Bonanno and her husband were aided in their efforts by US marshals, who transported the beagles to their vehicle. The impact of their living conditions was immediately apparent. Bonanno shares that she and her husband “were shocked because beagles are usually very vocal, but there was not a peep coming out of the vehicle.”
However, despite their initial trauma, the beagles were able to adapt after arriving at the SPCA. Bonanno “couldn’t believe that a few of them, within just ten minutes of being in the kennels… all of a sudden kind of perked up. Some of them were wagging their tails and… their little personalities very quickly started to shine through.” It seems the beagles knew that they had arrived somewhere safe. Of course, some took longer than others to adjust to the new environment and recover but, with care and support from the SPCA, they were soon able to thrive. Bonanno continues: “Some of them, if you met them a few weeks later, you would not have even known that they had been part of that. And it kind of just showed how resilient animals are, that they could go through that and then be so trusting with people.”
The SPCA received an influx of adoption applications from those eager to help and provide a home for the rescued beagles. After reviewing these applications carefully, all ten beagles were placed in their forever homes. While it is disheartening that animal cruelty is so prevalent in the world, it is also uplifting that there are organizations like HSUS and SPCA Westchester that work tirelessly to ensure better lives for our furry friends.