ARME, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, created the Beagle Freedom Project to address the immediate need of placing beagles, a popular breed among researchers. These dogs are preferred because of their docile natures and their adaptability to life in a cage. ARME works with labs to legally obtain ownership of the animals and prep them for adoption. Lab beagles come with special challenges:
"Anyone interested in fostering or adopting a lab beagle should be aware of the challenges these dogs have. They will not be accustomed to life in a home and will not have experience with children, cats, or other dogs. They will not be house-trained and accidents will happen, although they learn quickly. Many have gone directly from a commercial breeder to the lab, and have never felt grass under their feet or even seen the sun. They will have been fed a special diet formulated for lab animals and may be difficult to adjust to new foods. They will be unfamiliar with treats, toys, bedding and may never have walked on a leash. They will have lived in cages with steel wire floors and may have inflamed or infected paws from the pressure. They may be fearful of people initially and may have phobias from a lifetime in confinement or from being restrained. They are likely to have been surgically de-barked by the breeder."A lab in Spain turned over 41 dogs to the Beagle Freedom Project. ARME organizers are now looking for foster and adoptive homes.
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