Twenty-one beagles rescued from pharma unit

Mumbai: Twenty-one beagles, which were being used for laboratory testing, have been rescued from a research park in Pune on January 27. These dogs are aged between six and eight years. The beagles had been housed in the company for the past six years.

“Animals used in research undergo a lot of pain and suffering, and after their role is over they are put down. However, that has changed now with the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA), which is under the aegis of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), rehabilitating such animals, particularly dogs. Maneka Gandhi personally intervened to save the beagles. On January 23 Ms. Gandhi immediately got in touch with Lupin Labs and directed me to arrange the modalities for the transfer,” said Manoj Oswal, Pune unit head of People for Animals (PFA), which picked up the dogs, along with ResQ Charitable Trust activists.

Beagles are the most commonly used dogs in animal testing, due to their small size and passive nature. A favoured animal in toxicology studies, these dogs are often kept caged until their study is complete. Neha Panchamiya, president and founder of ResQ, who runs animal rescue centre for street animals and helped in their rescue, said, “These animals have been subjected to various tests throughout their lives, never having seen the light of day or even stepped on real ground. We can now give them a second lease on life and find them homes where they will finally get the love and care they deserve. ”