The Michigan Humane Society is finding a loving home for a group beagles that were used as test subjects in a laboratory that involved being forced-fed fungicide.
An undercover investigation conducted by the Humane Society of the United States in mid-March revealed that beagles were injected with pesticides and subjected to numerous surgeries. The experiment with these beagles were planned for a year.
There were 36 beagles involved in the testing — one of which was named Harvey.
The video may be disturbing for some viewers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuKaHh3ZKIk
Corteva Agriscience — the agricultural division division of chemical company DowDuPont — commissioned the Charles River Laboratory in Mattawan, Michigan. This experiment was conducted to test products that were to be sold in Brazil.
The dogs were reported to have been given extremely high doses, with any survivors to be put down in July. The national branch of the Humane Society and their supporters have been demanding the release of the beagles, with over 300,000 people signing a petition. The beagles have recently been released to the Michigan Humane Society.
“The Humane Society of the United States is truly grateful to Corteva for choosing a reputable and trustworthy organization, Michigan Humane Society, to ensure the care and placement of the dogs into loving homes," Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Michigan Humane Society, said in a press release.
Corteva released a statement through Twitter, saying that they “are pleased to announce our efforts resulted in a waiver & we can stop the study. We’ll make every effort to rehome the animals.” DowDuPont also released a statement, stating the company does not take animal testing lightly and did so because of their partnership with Brazil.
The tests were technically legal, according to the Humane Society of the United States, but still were damaging to the beagles. The Animal Welfare Act is the only federal law in place, but it does not prohibit animal testing.
Michigan’s animal care laws have three main points: intentional infliction of pain and suffering, duty to provide care, and anti-animal fighting.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund noted that the oversight of some of these practices are considered “inadequate.”
The Michigan Humane Society could not be reached for comment. You can learn more about the Michigan Humane Society’s adoption process here.
