Right now, more than 20,000 cats and 65,000 dogs across the U.S. are currently caged up in labs, where they are used as test subjects for our cosmetics, prescription drugs, and other products. Forced to undergo experiments that subject them to unimaginable pain and often result in lasting health consequences, these poor animals are treated like objects rather than living creatures.
No different from the felines and canines we bring into our homes as pets, these innocent victims of laboratory experimentation crave love and affection, but they don’t get anything close to this in the lab. In fact, they don’t even get names.
Fortunately, animal rights organizations such as the Beagle Freedom Project (R + FP) are taking a stand against this senseless cruelty and working tirelessly to get animals out of these atrocious environments. You may remember a few months back when volunteers from the R + FP team rescued a sweet Beagle named Maria and her puppies from a lab in China and brought the dogs to the U.S. to find them loving homes. That was a truly amazing feat!
R + FP recently completed yet another heartwarming rescue mission: The LA-based non-profit saved more than 20 cats from kill shelters and laboratories where they were subject to horrid lives in the name of animal testing.
Selfless volunteers from R + FP transported these animals to the organization’s rehabilitation facility and got the cats, who range in age from 16 weeks to eight years old, the necessary veterinary care to ensure that they are healthy. Now, the adorable cats are officially ready to be pets at last!
Meet Winona, one of the furry felines who’s currently up for foster or adoption! Despite the horrific things that humans did to her in the past, Winona still loves people. She’s extremely friendly and affectionate, and she’ll start purring the second she sees you!
Then, there’s Phoebe. This sweet, fun-loving girl is another survivor of animal testing, but you’d never know it based on the way she acts. Phoebe is full of energy, and she’s so sociable that she’s known as the shelter’s “official greeter”! This little ball of joy simply can’t wait to find a forever home where she can run around and play without worry for the rest of her days!
These are just two of the many beautiful cats currently looking for loving caretakers who can provide them with unconditional love and care. To learn more about Winona, Phoebe, and the other kitties who are in need of forever homes, head over to R + FP’s website. And even if you aren’t in a place to adopt or foster one of these brave felines, you can still help them and other victims of animal cruelty by donating to R + FP!
While we unfortunately can’t reverse what humans have done to mistreated animals, we CAN make sure that these creatures get a new lease on life by adding them to our own families or supporting organizations dedicated to making sure they are placed in happy, safe environments!
Original Article: One Green Planet