have landed.
Shannon Keith of Studio City was up after 3 a.m. Friday morning to get the Beagles home to foster homes and to the Beagle Freedom Project based in Valley Village. They were all sound asleep, but she still had work to be done.
She tweeted: "They arrived at LAX safe and sound. They boys are all very different. Thanks to everyone who came out tonight and helped and everyone who donated to this rescue! Pictures soon. p.s. We still really need donations."
The dogs were going to be used as test animals in a now-closed clinic in Spain. A coalition of dog rescue groups shipped the dogs overseas, and they will be socialized and then placed in good homes.
However, the group needs to re-coup the more than $80,000 in costs, and so far, donations are a little more than $3,000.
Keith explains the easiest way to donate is to text over the phone:
Texting BEAGLE to 55678 will not automatically add a donation to your wireless bill. Instead, it will prompt a return phone call from a Beagle Freedom Project volunteer who will then process your pledge and provide more information about the rescue. Thank you to those who have already texted! One word, to one number, helps forty beautiful beagles continue their journey to freedom, and "furever" homes!
Beagle Freedom Project received national attention for their rescue efforts.
The group still needs foster families. How to help? Go to: BeagleFreedom.
Keith said, "It's hard work and we need several more fosters and people to come."
Some of the dogs were saved and adopted in homes in Europe. The dogs were about to be euthanized until Keith stepped in, according to Gary Smith of the Beagle Freedom Project. Keith began rescuing beagles from laboratories about 11 months ago, Smith said. Three rescues of beagles who had been in labs in California were conducted.
Smith said he and his wife took in a beagle who had been in a lab and "we had him for five weeks. He started off as a terrified animal, afraid of all noises," Smith said. "He didn't even wag his tail for two weeks, and at the end of five weeks, he started to become excited, the way dogs do. I would say that in the five weeks we had him, he got back about 70 percent of his personality."
According to City News Service, the plane landed and the dogs passed through customs, and all but one of them headed off in a caravan of vans and sport utility vehicles bringing them to Keith's home, where they arrived about 9 p.m. One dog was picked up by his new parents directly at the airport.
Read more: http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/local/dozens-of-beagles-rescued-from-animal-testing-lab-20111123#ixzz1ekC4Q6Zq
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
* Donate. The Beagle Freedom Project is a mission of Animal Rescue, Media & Education (ARME) and all contributions are tax-deductible.
* Attend a fundraiser. LAUGHTER, LIBATIONS & INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR! is on Dec, 2, at 7:30 p.m. at The Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip. All proceeds benefit our charity and Pryor's Planet rescue. Get your tickets here: I WANT IN!
* Adopt. They are currently taking applications for fosters and adopters for our most recent rescue. Click here for more information.
* Donate in-kind. Click here to see the wish list.
* Buy a Calendar. Get the BEAGLE FREEDOM PROJECT 2012 CALENDAR. Pre-Order your 2012 Beagle Freedom Project Calendar featuring our beautiful rescues. 100% of the proceeds go to our non-profit so we can continue saving animals form labs.
* Sponsor a Beagle for $2,500. Click here.
So far, 107 people donated $3,056.71 to ANIMAL RESCUE MEDIA & EDUCATION. Give by clicking here.
We will keep you updated.
(See videos and photos in the gallery above.)
