45 Beagles Freed from a Testing Facility

The Amelia Air Force has many goals, but chief among them has always been helping dogs or animals who are used in laboratory research. Many people do not know that tens of thousands of dogs are still used in laboratory experiments to test the safety of drugs, chemicals, medical devices and more. The Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency still legally require these tests in many cases, even though animals are poor stand ins for humans: over 90% of drugs that pass animal tests fail when tested on people, because our physiology is just so different.

So, when the incredible humans at Priceless Pet Rescue got in touch with Petra and Adi about helping a crew of Beagles who were being freed from a testing facility in Texas, we couldn’t wait to help. These dogs had spent their whole lives in cages, with a tattooed number instead of a name, never seeing the sun or feeling grass, and had never experienced positive interactions with people. In short, they had been through hell. We were determined to make sure that they lived out the rest of their days in a loving home.

Through a Herculean logistical effort, Priceless Pet Rescue arranged the freedom of 110 Beagles in total, who were being released by the lab and would have been euthanized. Some headed to New York, others went to Kindness Ranch in Wyoming, and as of Thursday (tomorrow, September 23rd), and 45 of these amazing dogs could start their new lives with Priceless Pet Rescue in sunny Southern California - if they could only get there.

With 45 Beagles destined for Los Angeles from Texas, Petra & Adi knew that there were simply too many dogs to fit on any of the general aviation aircraft flown by our volunteer pilots. But the laboratory dogs would be put down unless they got a freedom flight on incredibly short notice. Petra & Adi turned to American Airlines - and after hours working out all the details, they made the impossible happen!

Less than a day later, an American Airlines commercial flight took off from Dallas Fort Worth and flew to Los Angeles, California, with 45 Beagles and one very exhausted rescue Director, Lisa Price, onboard! The amazing founder of Priceless Pet Rescue had managed to secure 45 kennels and all the paperwork necessary to fly the Beagles to safety with mere minutes to spare.

In Los Angeles, Petra & David were waiting with Ashlee and the rest of the Priceless Pet Rescue team to welcome the dogs into the good life. The entire ground crew at American Airlines Cargo was thrilled to learn about the rescue, and did everything in their power to get the 45 dogs into the rescue vans as quickly as possible.

In the world of animal rescue, there are lots of challenging moments. We will never forget seeing all those sweet, confused Beagle faces for the first time, some resigned to being poked and prodded, and others wagging their tails and clearly hoping they might finally be a member of the family. Knowing that they would never be in pain again is enough to make even the most seasoned rescuer emotional.

After waving goodbye to all the sweet Beagles, the Priceless Pet Rescue team drove them home to their adoption facilities in Chino Hills, where they all received well-needed baths. Then, Priceless Pet Rescue placed them all with loving foster families to help them adjust to being part of a home.

Check out Pumpkin, two days after her freedom flight, enjoying her time with her foster family on their front lawn. Remember, this sweet dog had never been on grass or been part of a family!

While some of these dogs were ready to love right away, others were understandably traumatized and needed a little more time and patience to learn how to be a beloved member of the family. Only one month later, all but 5 of the 45 dogs have now been adopted into their forever homes! The two Beagles below were best buddies and even got to go home together!

With 45 pets saved, this is Amelia Air’s largest mission to date, and first collaboration with American Airlines. But the real heroes of this story are the Beagles, who persevered through horrific mistreatment; and Priceless Pet Rescue, who rescued and rehabilitated each and every one of these beautiful souls so they could bring joy to their future families. From the whole team at Amelia Air, it is our absolute honor to work alongside you!

Check out the recap video below from our largest mission yet, and thanks to everyone who participated in our awesome September fundraiser - you empowered us to dream bigger than we ever have before!