A beagle who had spent the vast majority of his life living in a cage at an animal testing facility has taken his first steps as a free dog.

For the longest time, all Zoomer, aged 6, ever knew was pain. However, that all changed when he was rescued by the Beagle Freedom Project (BFP), an organization dedicated to the rescue and rehoming of animals used in experimental research.

“Zoomer came to us from a laboratory overseas in South Korea,” Kaitlyn Morris, a social media and animal care associate at the BFP, told Newsweek. “We have rescue partners in South Korea and they help us get dogs out of labs there and find volunteers to fly them to us. We are grateful to the kind people who flew to the U.S. with Zoomer.”

The BFP didn’t know the specifics of what Zoomer went through previously but it was clear his life to date had been a difficult one.

According to figures published by the charity Cruelty Free International, as of 2015, an estimated 207,724 laboratory tests were conducted using dogs.

While that number has likely changed in the years since, animal testing remains a major concern, particularly in South Korea where, according to Humane Society International, last year statistics showed animal use in South Korean laboratories had reached a record high of nearly 5 million in 2022.

Morris said that beagles are often used in testing because of their “docile and forgiving nature.”

“They are unlikely to fight back when hurt. They can be abused and still have their tails wagging the next day,” she said. “Their small size also makes them easy to ‘maintain’ in tiny cages. It’s heartbreaking and deeply disturbing.”

Thankfully, that chapter of Zoomer’s life is now over. In a video posted to the BFP TikTok page, the understandably cautious canine can be seen taking his first steps out of the carrier that brought him over from South Korea and on to U.S. soil.

While it was an undoubtedly joyous moment for all involved, BFP staff knew it would take Zoomer some time to adjust. Though beagles may be tested upon because of their docile demeanor, dogs like Zoomer are living proof that the scars left by their harrowing ordeals run deep.

“Zoomer, along with his friends who came from the same lab, definitely suffers from PTSD,” Morris said. “He was a brave boy taking his first steps of freedom, but once he got to his foster home he was nervous and required a lot of patience as most laboratory testing survivors do.”

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for Zoomer to realize he was safe and that part of his life was over. “He adjusted very quickly and wanted love and affection from the get go,” Morris said. “Most of our laboratory testing survivors find happiness and learn to be dogs—but there are always specific triggers that can cause panic and take them back to the lab.”

Having endured the worst any dog can face, Zoomer is now living his very best life having recently been adopted. He’s settled into his new life already with his new human companions eager to make up for the cuddles and love he missed out on for so many years.

“Zoomer loves to receive affection, sleep in his cozy bed, and cuddle with other dogs,” Morris said. With another dog in the house to keep him company and entertained, it sounds like Zoomer has finally got the happy ending every good dog deserves.

Original Source: Newsweek