Rescued beagles reunite since being adopted in Roanoke

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Thousands of beagles have a new life after being rescued from the Envigo breeding facility in Cumberland.

More than 100 beagles were rescued by Angels of Assisi from a breeding facility in Cumberland, Virginia.

“They were really shut down. They were scared. They didn’t really know what people were. They didn’t really know what the outside was,” said Angels of Assisi Director Lisa O’Neill.

All of them found new homes in the Star City and were reunited for the first time Saturday.

“And today we’re seeing them coming up and interacting with people, interacting with other dogs that they may or may not know from the facility that they were at,” explained O’Neill. “And they are loving the grass, loving the sunshine, loving the fresh air and those are all things they didn’t have this time last year.”

Families shared advice on how to overcome challenges.

“Dogs reacting to certain types of clothing. Like if you wear a white polo, the dogs get super anxious,” said Organizer Joe Bryson. “And normal things like house training.”

Some dogs are still dealing with anxiety, but it was still a fun day.

“All the humans have found it really emotional to see them all playing together and just being dogs,” added Bryson.

Organizers say volunteering or donating can help animals like these beagles and organizations like Angels of Assisi.

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