The Beagle Freedom Project aims to provide animals used for scientific testing a safe space.
Shannon Keith, an Animal Rights Lawyer by profession, is an animal lover and cares a lot about all animals, particularly the ones used in labs for experiment purposes.
Despite writing many letters to various animal testing sites across the United States, she never received a reply.
Beagles are the most commonly used dog breed in animal testing. To rescue and rehabilitate these dogs exploited and abused in research facilities, she started the Beagle Freedom Project in 2010.
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In 2021, she finally received a reply from John Riner, the owner of Animal Health Innovations in Nowata, Oklahoma.
Riner’s animal testing facility had around 200 dogs and cats, and once their use was complete, he followed the standard protocol of euthanizing the animals.
Over the years, he received several letters from Keith, and one day, he had a sudden change of heart so he wrote back to her.
Riner told The Washington Post, he does not abuse animals, and they only go through a “slight discomfort.” He also believes that animal testing is necessary to ensure the effectiveness and safety of products before they are used by humans.
Picture from the Beagle Freedom Project’s Instagram
Instead of following his usual procedure of euthanizing the animals, he decided to donate them all to Keith and her team and to shut down the facility.
After learning about Riner’s plan, Keith decided to take over and transform the 30-acre facility into an animal sanctuary.
The two negotiated the terms and conditions for quite some time before she acquired the site.
Now she’s working to turn it into a rehabilitation center for all the lab animals, many of whom also suffer from various health issues.
Apart from their dedicated staff and volunteers, the Los Angeles-based non-profit mainly operates on individual donations.
Keith plans to build a senior dog facility on the property to help elderly dogs regain strength and improve their socializing skills.
The facility will have orthopedic beds, water treadmills, and ramps, to help the dogs build some strength before they are rehomed.
She wishes to welcome guests, educate them about animal testing, and create a cat-friendly area.
Not only does the Beagle Freedom Project rescue and rehome lab animals, but it also supports their cause.
Picture from the Beagle Freedom Project’s Instagram
According to the Beagle Freedom Bill, healthy dogs and cats should be put up for adoption once trials are completed instead of being euthanized.
This bill has been passed in 13 states, including California, Maryland, and Virginia. The non-profit is working to make it a federal law.
The Beagle Freedom Project has also developed a free mobile app called Cruelty Cutter, which helps users know if a product has been tested on animals.
She hopes the animal testing industry will decline in the future, thanks to the approval of FDA Modernization Act 2.0 in December 2020.
According to this act, pharmaceutical companies are required to use alternatives to animal testing to check the efficacy and safety of new products.
She is glad that a site previously used for animal abuse and exploitation is now being turned into a sanctuary and rescue facility.
Keith believes these small steps in the right direction will change the future for the better.
