We're Fostering a Former Laboratory Beagle - Experimentation Hurts!

[MineralMan]

When I returned from my recent trip to California to visit my 89 year old parents, I got to meet the newest addition to our household. My wife picked up Allen, a 3-year old beagle, while I was gone. This dog, which we are now fostering for the Beagle Freedom Project, had lived its entire life in a research laboratory, locked in a small cage. At the lab, it was used in some sort of experimental program, the nature of which we do not know. These labs normally euthanize the animals when they're done with them. The Beagle Freedom Project works to convince labs to release the dogs to them for fostering and adoption, and is working to pass laws requiring labs to do this for all dogs capable of being safely released.

When I first met him at our home, he was frightened, quivering, and did not understand that he was now free and living in a warm home where we will be getting him used to a life of freedom. We'll probably end up adopting this poor guy, once we and our beagle/basset mix and two kitties show him that his past three years do not mean that his entire life will be one of cages and experiments.

He's already making progress. Our other dog is showing him around the place, and the kitties have already befriended him. Last night, I picked him up and he spent an hour on my lap, being stroked and talked to. After a few minutes, he stopped trembling, and after 45 minutes, he put his head on my hand on the arm of the recliner and allowed himself to go to sleep on my lap. When he woke up, I put him on the floor in the living room and he, for the first time, started exploring the smells and textures of our cluttered living area. This morning he got more of the same.

His tail is still down, though, and he hasn't come to the belief that this is his future. I don't have any photos of him yet, since we don't want to alarm him with an unfamiliar camera flash. I'm confident that, in time, Allen will learn the ropes of living with a family and will become the happy beagle he should be.

If you want to learn more about a great organization that is working to convince labs to release their experimental beagles, rather than euthanizing them, see the link to the Beagle Freedom Project, below:

http://www.beaglefreedomproject.org/

[MineralMan]

1. A Photo of the Rescue

I found a photo of Allen, our foster beagle. Front row, third from the left, being held by my wife:

[CitizenLeft]

18. you make me want to cry...

...for the kindness shown by you and your wife, and for the joy of life that Allen will now share with you.

My job is too demanding now, but when I retire, I'm going to devote my time to rescue, wherever and whenever I can.

Bless you and Allen.

[JustAnotherGen]

21. A word to the wise

I grew up with those dogs. A 'passel' of them if you will. . .


Never give your heart to a beagle!

A beagle will break your heart every single time!

Oh and they just need love. And patience. And you to recognize that you are THEIR human. That dog does not belong to you! You belong to him! You'll find out soon enough if he is a leaner. All but two of our dogs were leaners.

By that I mean you can keep leaning away and rolling away and they will scoot right on over and lean on you!

[MineralMan]

23. Leaners with bottomless stomachs.

They're also quite the stubborn breed. Trying to get a beagle to do something you want to do, as opposed to what the beagle thinks would be a good idea to do, is futile. Eventually you learn to go and do as the beagle wishes.

Our beagle/basset, Dude, is also a 45 lb. lap dog, by his own definition. There is no lap upon which he will not sit, and nothing you can do will turn him away from sitting on it. Uff da!

[PDJane]

32. Love the face on the guy top right.......

He's just feeling the love! They are all gorgeous, and yours is adorable! He does look a little trepidatious, though. Poor guy.

[MineralMan]

33. Thanks. He'll be fine after a while.

He just has to understand that it's all good from here on.

[loudsue]

39. What state do you live in MineralMan?

If you don't mind me asking....

[MineralMan]

40. Minnesota.

They have just begun here. This was the first group of beagles to find homes in MN.

[loudsue]

41. That's a beautiful place, too. I'm really glad they're working the rescue project there.

Thanks to you and your wife for doing this. We took in a dog that someone had thrown out...she was living in a pipe under the country road. She is the light of our lives.

[PDJane]

2. Yeah, it does. Poor guy needs time and love.........

Good for you for giving it too him. And yeah, I'd like pics when you can!

[leftyladyfrommo]

3. Good for you!

Be patient. It takes time for dogs like that to come around. And it may be two steps forward, one step back for a while.

The whole world is unfamiliar to him. They get scared.

But time heals the wounds and you will have a wonderful companion.

[napkinz]

4. I just saw this article posted on Facebook ...

I am so afraid to watch it (though I will force myself later this morning). Just the description makes me sick.

Human Undergoes Animal Testing for Animal Rights

Performance artist Jacqueline Traides agreed to publicly undergo animal testing techniques to show what animals endure in cosmetics testing labs. You can check out the video of her performance below, but be forewarned: it is rather graphic.

Many major cosmetics companies continue to test on animals, but there are companies out there that are cruelty free. When you’re shopping for cosmetics, look for the Cruelty-Free logo, pictured below. Here are a few cosmetics companies that say no to animal testing:

read more: http://feelgoodstyle.com/2012/07/16/human-undergoes-animal-testing-for-animal-rights/

[Brigid]

5. I have a better idea:

How about laws are passed that force these labs stop torturing animals?

Good for you taking care of this poor doggie.

[napkinz]

6. "How about laws are passed that force these labs stop torturing animals?"

I'm with you.

[MineralMan]

7. I'm for that, too.

In the meantime, we can rescue one animal. That's what we can do right now.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

22. exactly true.

[magical thyme]

8. Agreed, 1Btimes over. The majority, if not all, testing can be done without animals

There really is no long any excuse for this cruel, inhumane treatment.

[jwirr]

9. Absolutely agree.

[Blue Owl]

10. Happiest of holidays to you and yours, M.M.

[dembotoz]

11. my friend has a similar in some ways 'special needs' kitty

afraid of most everything.

don't know how her life got started but the poor thing just freaked out when she first came home and hid
for the longest time. They put food, water and a litter box available for her and she would only come out when no one else was home.

she now is stays in my friends bedroom-again with food, water and litter box near by. But she will come up and cuddle my friend at night.

My friend is slowly introducing her to the rest of the condo

The cat has not been there almost 2 years.....

My hat is off to you as you bring the dog into a kinder, gentler world

[grntuscarora]

12. K & R.

I love the work Beagle Freedom Project does.

[MineralMan]

25. And they're having success with it.

There's an excellent chance that the law will be enacted in Minnesota. We have a number of state legislators on our side. I hope so.

[rustbeltvoice]

13. Dogs are wonderful.

Did not Charles Schulz write about the happiness of a warm beagle? There are so many dogs. Many people fall in love with a breed. I have to admit, that beagles form a "dogginess" that Plato would recognise. Here in the government kennels, and private animal shelters, i have noticed a preponderance of dogs that can be called "pit bulls" and pit bull mixes. These excess, and discarded hounds were created for a purpose. There are greyhound rescues that take in "retired" racers. Some dogs become fashionable, and then are dumped. The beagles were chosen for their convenience to be live testing dummies. Other dogs were sought to be used as fighters, or training bait.

Dogs are the most empathetic of creatures. Many have noticed this. Traer Scott has photographed, and written biographies of street dogs. There is a scene in Steinbeck's, Tortilla Flat about one of the bums and dogs, that can make one cry reading. Dogs show themselves as christian.

Que me amat, amet et canem meum.

[Hekate]

14. Lucky doggie

The MinMan family is great.

[Habibi]

15. Aw, thanks MM!

I love this story. Allen's a cutie; I just know he'll come around in your and your wife's care. Btw, your wife is gorgeous!

[MineralMan]

26. You have to love those Norwegian heritage girls.

Just be nice to them, though. That's a must.

[kaiden]

16. Thank you for what you and your wife do, MineralMan!

[mountain grammy]

17. Awww, thank you, from one rescuer to another..

Although, as we all know, it's really selfish. We get so much more from our rescued friends than anyone could ever imagine.

[CitizenLeft]

19. that is so true

and they're grateful and loyal their entire lives.

If only people could be more like dogs.

[MineralMan]

27. Absolutely. The benefits go both ways.

It will be interesting to see what Allen turns into as a dog. Each dog has a distinct personality, but this one needs some time to understand that he can be whatever dog he wants to be.

Tonight, I'll help him with the lap dog part again. He's just the right size for a lap dog. For now, I have to pick him up and put him there, but he'll get the idea. Once he's on a lap, he settles down pretty quickly and obviously enjoys being stroked and scratched. I figure that's all excellent therapy for him.

[joeybee12]

20. Hooray! I know he's going to be a sweetie...good for you!

KNR

[Uncle Joe]

24. Excellent, good for you.

Thanks for the thread, MineralMan.

[MineralMan]

29. Given the opportunity, taking Allen in was a no-brainer.

I have no doubt that he'll become a fine dog, and we'll be unable to part with him, so I'm considering him a family member already.

[hue]

28. Thanks for sharing this love with us! Your wife is beautiful inside & out!! Much thanks to Her!!

[MineralMan]

30. She's a real softie. But, our house is now full, I think.

We have our work cut out for us, but it's good work.

[CherokeeDem]

31. Bless you and your wife....

I deplore animal research. After obtaining a degree in Microbiology, I chose not to pursue a PhD, because of the research involved. (I only got through some of my courses due to a couple of wonderful fellow students that did the dirty work for me when animals were involved.) After graduation, I worked for several years as a clinical microbiologist in human hospitals, no research.

Thanks to you and the others who are making good, safe homes for these deserving animals. What they have been through is unconscionable and to know they will now have the love and care they deserve is heartwarming.

I'm not in a position to take one of these animals in, but hopefully some day.

Thanks.....

[get the red out]

34. Makes my heart break

Thank you for taking him. I love dogs, when I think of people harming them for any reason my blood boils.

And no, no one will be able to use their heartless, hateful, contrived "reason" to talk me out of it. Dogs are special, I will always feel that way and that's that.

[ryan_cats]

35. Good on you!!!

Good on you!!!
Does the Beagle freedom project help with initial vet bills if your new guy needs anything?

Beagles are neat dogs and make good buddies.

[MineralMan]

36. While we're fostering him, they cover costs.

He's going to the vet on Saturday, where he'll get checked over and get all vaccinations and be chipped. No records from the lab where he was are available, so we'll have to get all of those shots. Poor guy.

We may have to front the cost, but they'll reimburse.

Odds are he'll become a permanent part of our family, though.

So, far, he's shown absolutely no aggressive characteristics, and tolerates any sort of handling. He also was instantly OK with our cats and our other dog, a beagle/basset mix. While he was on my lap last night, our 17-year-old kitty jumped up there, too. They sniffed each other out, and kitty curled up next to him. Looks good so far.

[ryan_cats]

37. That's what they do when we foster animals...

That's what they do when we foster animals. We usually pay for the vet and then are reimbursed unless they have an agreement with the vet and one agency we fostered for had one but the vet was farther away than we wanted but we used him since he was doing work for the charity.

The problem of fostering, if there is one, is that you fall in love with the animal, you end up keeping it. We've ended up doing both but hey, I love animals and as long as we have room and can afford them, we will help.

[MineralMan]

38. The Beagle Freedom Project

always places animals at first as fosters. Very smart of them. Right now, Allen isn't really adoptable. He needs some quiet therapy at a home where he can progress at whatever pace works for him. We don't mind giving him space as we work with him. Once he's closer to being a normal dog with normal dog behaviors, then he could be adopted by a family that might not have the time or patience to work with him. For example, he's not house trained. So we have pads down and, as soon as he's more used to things, we'll begin the process of house training him. Right now, he doesn't understand the concept of a leash and being led, so we can't really take him out just yet. He'll start with a short leash he can drag around to get used to. Then, as he gets more confident, we'll start taking the leash and walking him around the house. When he's OK with that, we'll carefully take him outdoors, where he'll no doubt be nervous, since he has no experience with that. Soon, he'll discover a world of smells, etc., including spots where our other dog has peed in the snow. That will stimulate him to do likewise.

It's not difficult, but it does take a bit of dog psychology to do, and not every family is ready for that kind of training interaction. So, we're part of his transition.

Still, it's likely that we'll want to keep him, and that's just fine with the organization. We have room and time. We both work at home, so we're here all the time and able to do the constant, easy training he'll need.

He can't be kennel trained, because he's lived his whole life in a kennel. That's enough of that. So, it's pee pads and stuff like that for a little while. No big deal. Right now, he doesn't even know how to drink from a bowl of water, so there's a drinking bottle for him. But, the water bowl is there, and our other dog is drinking out of it, right in front of him. He'll figure that out soon, I'm certain. The other dog is also sniffing and licking and wagging his tail frantically, so Allen is getting trained by a dog, too. The kitties don't really understand dog behavior, but they aren't afraid of dogs and walked right up to him the first day. He didn't really react to them, except to sniff noses with them, so he'll adapt to cats being around automatically.

It's interesting, to be sure.

[smirkymonkey]

42. Awww! How good of you!

I love beagles. I love all dogs, but beagles have a special place in my heart. We grew up with them and whenever we were sad as children they would crawl right up in our laps and comfort us. They instinctively knew when we were hurting and needed them. They are the sweetest dogs!

[lucca18]

43. Wonderful!

I love the Beagle Freedom Project! They do wonderful work to free these beautiful dogs.
Thank you for giving him the love he deserves!!!

[MineralMan]

44. He just got off my lap.

Tonight is the first time he licked my face. Progress.

[LeftyMom]

45. Thank you! for saving him.

I'm sure you know this, but be prepared to build increasingly Rube Goldberg-ian contraptions to keep him out of your trash can. The only thing beagles love more than food is getting into food they shouldn't.

[MineralMan]

46. Walking stomachs..

[MineralMan]

47. Update: Our new beagle is making himself at home.

After a week, Allen (for now) has graduated to the couch in the living room. Here's a photo of him with Dude, our beagle/basset mix, sharing my wife's lap:

[Aerows]

48. Looks like you have a pair

of beautiful pups! The on on the left looks like a bit of a walking stomach, too .

Wonderful that you and your wife took them in. You and Mrs. MM are good people .

[MineralMan]

49. Yah. Dude's on a diet. He definitely gained

a bit of weight after we got him from the shelter. We're hoping to keep Allen, the beagle, trim and slim.

We're benefiting from our dogs, too, and will probably adopt the beagle after fostering him for a while.

[Aerows]

50. I took in a stray cat

and she's now, five years later, piled up asleep on the couch like she owns the place (which she probably does). I also rescued a 6 week old kitten that someone dumped in the parking lot of the grocery store. I couldn't keep him because my little darling was harassed by other cats, which was probably why she was starving, and is now extremely territorial. I found him a home, though. The family he lives with thinks he is made of gold!

It makes my heart smile when I hear of other people that find wonderful companions out of the beautiful beings that others abandon, or like you, the ones that never got enough love in the first place. I wouldn't trade my girl for any money in the world, and I know the people that got Buddy the poor abandoned kitten feel the same way .

[MineralMan]

51. Yup. I'd recommend rescuing a pet to anyone.

They're grateful, you get a pet, and everyone's happy.

[Aerows]

52. As a side note

I call my cat Dudette affectionately. Her name is Roma tomato nose for her really orange nose, but Dudette is what she gets called most of the time

[MineralMan]

53. Nice!

[fadedrose]

56. We got a beagle from the rescue place...

She looks exactly like Allen, same coloring, but has the size and build of Dude. I bet our Ginger is a beagle/bassett mix too. She seems a bit long, and her front legs have the width between them on the chest that Dude seems to have.

I love her whatever she is. Not a barker, very clean, and the only time she howls is when we come home and she's been alone. When she's alone, she's quiet and sleeps. I love that dog.

Lucky you have two to love, one for each of you....

Wish I were younger to do what you and your wife are doing with Allen...

[Beaverhausen]

54. I just saw your wife's update on Allen from the BFP Facebook page

sounds like things are going well. Glad Allen is becoming more comfortable in his new home.

[flvegan]

55. This pleases me greatly. Thank you.

For fostering and maybe adopting, posting and raising awareness.

I salute you and your family, sir.