We are rescuing animals from animal testing laboratories,
rehabilitating them, putting them in forever loving homes.
Shannon Keith has been finding homes for former lab animals
for years,
but she had only dreamt of transforming an entire testing
facility.
It's actually never been done to basically shut down a
facility and take custody of the animals and then turn
it into a sanctuary,
rehab and Education Center. It all started back in 2010
with a letter which turned into thousands of letters.
I began writing letters to every single laboratory in the
United States,
which is a lot of laboratories,
just asking that when they are completed with their studies
or testing,
that they contact us at Beagle Freedom Project to release
the animals to us.
In the industry, it's common for animals to be euthanized
after testing,
but there are other options.
Many laboratories are actually unaware that they can release animals.
They think that they have to kill them.
And I learned that along the way we would drive
out from California,
which is where we're headquartered,
to Oklahoma, and pick up sometimes between 20 and 30
dogs one day.
She took a chance with a laboratory owner in Oklahoma
and asked this.
I said, you know, what would you think about retiring
and turning in your license to test on animals and
letting us purchase the land and take in custody of
all of the animals? After a little negotiating,
she got the property. Freedom Fields was born.
The Beagle Freedom Project is converting the animal testing facility
into a rehab sanctuary.
Our goal, of course, is to get all of these
animals into homes.
That's always our goal. However,
those animals who don't find homes will be living the
rest of their lives in the lap of luxury.
A lot of them are,
you know, naturally afraid of a lot of things,
and so we're working on them personally to get over
their fears.
A lot of them are just so desperate for love
and so happy to have love.
Don't be afraid. You know,
to take that chance and take that risk.
And to pose that question,
you never know what can come of it.