A federal judge on Tuesday approved a plan that calls for transferring about 4,000 dogs currently housed at a troubled Virginia breeding facility to shelters where they can be adopted, according to court records.
This after a civil enforcement case the federal government initiated in May against Envigo RMS, which owns and operates the facility in Cumberland that breeds beagles for medical research.
The plan calls for the removal of "all" of the facility’s beagles by the Humane Society of the United States, which will transport the dogs to shelters where they can be adopted.
"Envigo’s surviving victims will soon be given the opportunity to have what every dog deserves — the freedom to enjoy life, love, and respect for their individuality as members of a family home," PETA Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations Daphna Nachminovitch said in a statement.