Ex-Research Subject Starts New Life as Family Dog

by Stephanie Feldstein · 2010-10-07 16:58:00 UTC
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Stewie the beagle spent the last three years of his life in a cage at Professional Laboratory and Research Services, one of nearly 200 dogs and 54 cats who were the subjects of toxicity testing, abuse and neglect. An undercover PETA investigation revealed that the PLRS staff held a malicious hatred toward their wards — screaming at the terrified animals, manhandling the cats, blasting the dogs with pressure hoses, bleaching kennels with animals still in them, and exposing them to unnecessary, painful procedures.

When the cruelty was exposed, PLRS shut their doors and turned over all the animals. The Animal Welfare Institute and the Humane Society of the United States were able to find more than a dozen shelters and rescues in the area to take in the animals, rehabilitate them and find them homes. One of those shelters was the Guilford County Animal Shelter in Greensboro, North Carolina, which ended up with 15 beagles and 4 cats from the lab.

And now, Stewie is the first of Guilford's research rescues to graduate to a new life in his own home.

When the animals first arrived, shelter director Marsha Williams said it was clear that they were traumatized. "If you touch them, they flinch or tense up. They're afraid that there's going to be something that we're going to do to them that would hurt."

Weeks later, the chemical burns on the beagles' paws had been treated and the animals started to learn that people can be okay, after all. Four of the dogs are still being rehabilitated and three of the cats were sent to an animal sanctuary, but the other cat and 11 dogs went up for adoption. Make that 10 dogs available, because Stewie is settling in with Daniel Wilson and his family.

Wilson didn't fall in love with Stewie's fame; in fact, he didn't find out that his new companion's previous life had been in a research lab until the end of the adoption process. In Stewie's new life, he has a backyard to run around in and two kids to play with. He seems to be putting the nightmare of the lab behind him with that characteristic, tail-wagging beagle resilience.

If you're interested in helping the dogs and cats rescued from PLRS, here's the list of shelters and rescues that stepped up to save them:

  • Associated Humane Societies (NJ): 973-824-7080

  • Beagles to the Rescue (VA): 757-204-4411

  • Carteret County Humane Society (NC): 252-247-7744

  • Elizabeth City SPCA (VA): 757-344-3033

  • Guilford County Animal Shelter (NC): 336-297-5020

  • In Dogs We Trust (FL): 561-400-7732

  • Norfolk SPCA (VA): 757-622-3319

  • Triangle Beagle Rescue (NC): info@tribeagles.org

  • Virginia Beach SPCA (VA): 757-427-0070

  • Wake County Animal Control (NC): 919-212-7387

  • Wake County SPCA (NC): 919-772-2326

  • Washington Animal Rescue League  (DC): 202-726-2556

As these animals learn what it's like to be dogs and cats — to be loved — the people responsible for putting them through hell need to be held accountable. Add your name to the call for animal cruelty charges to be brought against the PLRS lab and staff.

Photo credit: prudencebrown121

Stephanie Feldstein is a Change.org Editor who has been part of the animal welfare and rescue community for over a decade, and most recently worked for an environmental organization.

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