Unfortunately, beagles are one of the most commonly used breeds in laboratory research because they are docile and reliable no matter what.
According to research, more than 60,000 dogs are used as lab dogs in animal experiments each year in the United States. [1]
As a result, these dogs don’t even get the chance to get out of their crates, walk in the grass, feel love, or experience what it really means to be a dog.
The main character of this story, a beagle named Dora, was one of these lab dogs until she was eventually rescued by Chicago-based animal rescue organization One Tail at the Time.
Meet dora
Dora, an eight-month-old beagle, was one of several beagles that rescue group One Tail to the Time was able to save after being “removed” from animal testing. .
Like other lab dogs, Dora didn’t know how to be just a dog.
“She had only been known so far in her life by the number tattooed inside her ear,” Kimberly Thomas, Marketing Manager from One Tail at a Time, told The Dodo.
These laboratory dogs are never even given a proper name, simply distinguished by a number tattooed on their ear – because they are not treated like proper dogs.
“For a lab Beagle who has lived her whole life inside one building, experiencing new things, like stairs, is scary,” Kim said. Dora had to learn to use the stairs and walk outside, but thankfully, her foster parents were helping her so much.
Samantha, Dora’s foster mom, said that during her first day home, Dora was so nervous that she just crawled around on her belly.
Dora the Beagle won the hearts of the internet by experiencing her first time going for a walk. Although she was completely scared, Dora was so brave for trying.
Dora’s Update
After only a couple of weeks at the foster home, Dora was thriving and gaining more confidence each day.
Soon came the day of Dora’s spay appointment. Her foster mom sadly couldn’t take her to her early-morning appointment, so the two other One Tail at a Time members of the foster community, Laura and Luke, stepped up.
“Luke and Laura have been a part of our foster community for the last year after the passing of their beloved beagle they had for 12 years. They helped out Dora’s foster mom by bringing her to an early morning spay appointment and having a sleepover the night before, however they quickly realized they couldn’t let her go,” the Chicago-based rescue wrote in their Instagram post.
She melted their hearts and won them forever, so they adopted her!
In her forever home, Dora completely came out of her shell. She is now the happiest, silliest, and sweetest dog ever.
“I think something that I’ve loved about her since we’ve gotten to know her is that she’s eager to anyone and anything, even though she has started out being very anxious and nervous about a lot of things. You can see how she’s truly comfortable,” Laura said.
One thing they learned about Dora is that she loves to walk on two legs like a little human everywhere. It has become her habit.
Other than that, she is super comfortable, loveable, and basically living her best life ever – the complete opposite of how she was when they rescued her from the lab.
