For years they have been identified by a number. No names, no walks on the grass, no running in the open air. Their life took place within the walls of a stable, far from sunlight and everything that makes a dog simply a dog. Today, however, a new chapter finally opens for eight beagles.
A year after the seizure which allowed nine other dogs to leave the laboratories of the multinational pharmaceutical company Aptuit in Verona, another eight beagles were removed from the experimental facilities and entrusted to the LAV (Anti Vivisection League), which will take care of their recovery and subsequent insertion into the family.
It is yet another intervention involving the Veronese company: according to LAV, this represents the third seizure in five years. A provision which, for the association, would confirm the critical issues reported for some time regarding the conditions of the animals used in the experiments.
This new seizure demonstrates that the crime hypotheses we have been reporting for years correspond to what happens in the animal facility to the detriment of sentient beings subjected to experiments without any respect for current legislation, declared Valeria Albanese, head of the Animal-Free Research Area of the LAV.
The first thing that was given back to these dogs is something that seems obvious to many of us: an identity. No longer alphanumeric codes used within the laboratory, but real names. From today they are called Plautus, Seneca, Virgil, Ulysses, Achilles, Nero, Cicero and Aeneas.
A symbolic gesture, but deeply significant. Because recognizing a name means recognizing an individual, with their own personality, their own fears and their own ability to feel emotions.
For these beagles, freedom will not only be a conquest, but also a discovery. Many animals coming from laboratories have never known a home, a meadow or a simple walk. They must gradually learn to trust people, explore new environments and have experiences that are normal for other dogs. In recent years, dozens of animals from Aptuit have already been able to undertake this journey. Among them not only beagle dogs, but also macaques and marmoset monkeys transferred to specialized facilities for the rehabilitation of exotic animals.
