Kevin Chase—Director of Operations at The Beagle Freedom Project—provides an overview of the origin of BFP (a service of Animal Rescue, Media & Education [ARME]) and its mission, which chiefly involves rescuing and finding home for beagles that had been used in laboratory research. 
He also discusses why beagles’ key traits make them the go-to breed for lab testing and experimentation, that some 70,000 dogs are currently being used for such research, 96% of which are beagles, and the sort of operations that provide the beagles for this purpose. Chase also describes the conditions for the beagles in these lab settings, the sorts of products are being tested on the beagles, and how the beagles who are freed from lab life typically react and adapt, including the 
powerfully poignant moment when the dogs who’ve only known cages and dark enclosures, first experience sunlight and grass under their paws. While noting that the Beagle Freedom Project has only secured the release of 120 beagles thus far—and explaining the barriers to facilities feeling inclined to release large numbers (starting with the labs shunning publicity)—Chase explained BFP’s procedures for fostering and adopting these dogs, urging listeners to visit the organization’s website to learn more, watch videos and apply to foster or adopt a beagle. (www.beaglefreedomproject.org www.facebook.com/BeagleFreedomProject)
ALSO: We spoke briefly with Alicia Duval, Vice-President of Dachshund Adoption Rescue & Education (DARE), about the organization and about a then-forthcoming fundraising event. (www.daretorescue.com)
COMEDY CORNER: Tom Papa’s “Pet People” (http://www.tompapa.com)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Rondellus’ version of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs”
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