They look adorable in pictures. But the depth of their trauma is unimaginable. Beagles are still used for pharmaceutical drugs and pesticides testing, even though a law was passed in 2013 banning animal testing for cosmetics. Year after year, a large number of beagles are used for testing in laboratories. Sixty-four beagles, aged seven to 10 years, were released earlier this year from a laboratory in Bengaluru. And later in mid-May, 156 beagles, aged two to five years, were released from the same laboratory. In their quest of finding a forever home for the 156 ‘freagles’, an endearing term for ‘freed Beagles’, Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) put in place a stringent process to ensure the freagles get the right homes. It was a process put together by Chinthana Gopinath, a volunteer with CUPA, known for her commitment to the welfare of dogs, and her team. “With every set of dogs, we have incorporated learning lessons. When we rescued the 64 beagles, we used email to find homes, but there were problems with managing the data,” says Chinthana. “The back-end efforts have been tremendous,” she adds.
After the 156 beagles were released, families wanting to adopt have to fill up a Google application form. “The data gets updated on a Google spreadsheet and accessed by us. We then call the applicants. The phone conversations last for about 35 to 40 minutes.” This detailed approach helps them gauge if the families are well equipped to take care of the dogs. “The freagles look like dogs, but they don’t have the instincts of a regular dog. So one’s commitment levels have to be high, and expectations from the dog have to be low. The dogs have a tendency to run away as they are in a new environment and are unsure of how to deal with it, so we give detailed safety measures that need to be incorporated, ” explains Chinthana.
The entire family has to then come to the adoption camp, where another level of screening is done. “If the family has another dog then we have a canine behaviourist who helps the two dogs socialise.”
It has been a mammoth task to get 112 out of the 156 beagles, adopted. “There are post-adoption counselling checks,” says Chinthana. The ones who carry out these checks are families committed to the welfare of dogs. They are trained to do these follow up checks.
Apart from Bengaluru, beagles were adopted by families in Hyderabad, a couple of them from Mysuru and a handful from Chennai. “But they cannot withstand air transportation. They can only take road travel,” informs Chinthana.
There is a Facebook page Beagle Brigade where families share issues, problems and milestones.
“Taking the dog out for a walk the first time is a huge milestone. We celebrate such moments in the group.” Unfortunately, one freagle, Gunda escaped from his adopted home. But efforts are underway to find him. "He ran away on a Monday afternoon. When a dog runs away, we tell the families to inform us immediately because we can mobilize a large number of volunteers to be a part of the search. But we got a call only at 8.30 p.m. Crucial time had been lost. The first ten days, we had volunteers on the road day and night searching for him, putting up posters and talking to people about the reward that we have put together. But now so much time has passed, street searches don't make sense. But I am hopeful we will find Gunda," says Chinthana.
Chinthana's determination to get all 156 freagles rehomed is incredible. Supported by a great team and a city defined by its good will, CUPA continues its relentless efforts to find a loving home for these special beings.
