Manitoba animal advocacy group helps release dogs from animal testing
A pack of dogs put their best paws forward when they were finally unleashed from a lifetime of animal testing.
Five beagles were bred and raised in a laboratory in Houston, Texas, and were supposed to be euthanized once the research was complete. But thanks to Manitoba-based advocacy group “The Beagle Alliance,” the pups will get a second chance at life.
“They are harmed. They’re confined,” said executive director Lori Cohen. “And of course, beagles are the most-used breed of dog because they're docile, and they’re sweet and they’re a manageable size, so more can fit in a space, saving time and space.”
Cohen said nearly 11,000 dogs are used for testing in Canada every year. In the United States, Cohen said 60,000 dogs are used annually.
“We have experience with dogs. We also believe that dogs are the way to change the animal testing world, and really are the gateway for spreading awareness about testing,” Cohen said.
The dogs were released Saturday and range in age from three to eight years old.
“They do come out of the laboratory with varying degrees of PTSD and anxiety, so they need time to decompress. And they've never been in a normal home,” said Cohen. “They're even different from other rescue dogs because they've never been free on the street or maybe even abandoned from a home. So it's a very unique situation.”
As of now, Canadian labs are not bound by law to release the animals once a study is over.
“There's new technologies that do not require animals in science,” she said.
Cohen said the Beagle Alliance advocates for animal-free science, while also trying to work with research facilities to get dogs and animals out of testing facilities and into loving homes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. port employers to launch lockout as labour disruption begins
Employers at British Columbia ports say they are going ahead with locking out more than 700 foremen across the province after strike activities from union members began.
'The best that we can be': Indigenous judge and TRC chair Murray Sinclair dies at 73
Murray Sinclair, who was born when Indigenous people did not yet have the right to vote, grew up to become one of the most decorated and influential people to work in Indigenous justice and advocacy.
She was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes about a year ago. Here's how her condition was reversed
A year ago, Lorraine O'Quinn was coping with stress, chronic illness and Type 2 diabetes. Then she discovered a health program that she says changed her life.
India's Modi, Canada's Trudeau condemn violence at Hindu temple near Toronto
The prime ministers of India and Canada condemned violence that broke out on Sunday at a Hindu temple near Toronto at a time of escalating diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
Judge rules against Alberta casino, dinner theatre operator
An application to stay a receivership order of Mayfield Investments Ltd., a company that owns multiple businesses in Alberta including the Camrose Resort and Casino, Medicine Hat Lodge and Calgary's Stage West Dinner Theatre, has been denied by the court.
'Giving women agency over their health': How innovative solutions are filling the gaps in Canadian menopause care
In a 2022 survey conducted by Leger Canada for the Menopause Foundation of Canada, about 46 per cent of women said they don't feel prepared for menopause, even though they know it's coming. At a time when tech-savvy millennials are starting their menopausal journeys, some tech entrepreneurs are stepping up with potential solutions to long-standing health-care deficiencies.
Frustration over Mideast war in America's largest Arab-majority city may push some away from Democrats
As an ongoing part of Omar on the Road: America Decides 2024, CTV National News visited the University of Michigan-Dearborn campus to talk to Arab-American students about why they’re feeling left out of the Democrats’ tent.
Ikea will pay 6 million euros to East German prisoners forced to build their furniture in landmark move
Furniture giant Ikea has agreed to pay 6 million euros (US$6.5 million) towards a government fund compensating victims of forced labour under Germany's communist dictatorship, in a move campaigners hope will pressure other companies to follow.
Police arrest Netanyahu aide as opponents accuse him of leaking intelligence to thwart Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal
Israeli police have arrested a top aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over allegedly leaking classified information to foreign media.