Rescued Beagle Sloane Gets a Second Chance at Life

When you meet Sloane for the first time, you meet a petite pup who is friendly, curious, playful, and loving, with a smile that will melt your heart. She behaves as you’d expect any puppy to behave in her new home. She loves her parents Julie and Brian, she loves to splay out in “frog pose” on the cool tile floor, she has won the heart of her senior dog brother Moby, she is mastering commands like “sit” and “stay,” she knows where all the best snuggle spots are on the furniture, and she accompanies her parents to coffee and other social adventures. She is living her best life.

You would never guess that this sweet, loving puppy came from an unimaginable situation. Sloane is one of the approximately 4,000 beagles who were rescued from Envigo Laboratories this summer. She was born inside the lab, where she was to be used for animal testing. She had no name and was simply identified by the stock number tattooed inside her ear. Her future at Envigo was intended to be one lived inside a small cage, enduring the pain and distress of a multitude of experiments, and then being discarded when she was no longer of use.

But, in May 2022, Sloane’s life was saved when a lawsuit was filed against the laboratory, prompting it to shut down and release Sloane and approximately 4,000 other beagles to the United States Humane Society. This historic rescue operation swiftly relocated the beagles to rescue partners across the country, and Sloane was one of several who landed at the Oregon Humane Society (OHS). It was here that Sloane would meet her new forever family and begin to live the life she deserves.

Adopting Sloane

After the loss of her beloved beagle mix Chloe, Julie Honse soothed her soul by continuing to volunteer at her local animal shelter in Oregon. A longtime supporter of the Beagle Freedom Project and a lifetime animal advocate, when she caught news that the Envigo beagle rescue was taking place, she contacted the shelter to see if any of them would land at OHS. The answer was yes, so she committed to driving one hour each way to volunteer with the new arrivals. The first day she was there, she sat in each kennel and visited with each dog. She looked forward to taking them on walks, playing with them in the yard, and giving them much love and attention before they found their adoptive homes.

One puppy stood out to her, and she felt a special connection right away. She felt deep in her soul that this puppy was supposed to be part of her family. The only obstacle was that she and her partner Brian were in the middle of a move, juggling work travel, and had an coninternational trip a few months away.

Adopting a pet wasn’t in the plan, but this one was so special, she knew she needed to try to make it work. She submitted her application for adoptions, and for the next 8 hours she secured vet appointments, learned of travel requirements, secured pet safe travel, petfriendly lodging, and pet sitters, and planned for every possible thing that this new puppy could need upon arrival and beyond. The next day she got the call that she and Brian were approved to adopt. Picking her up, Julie says she felt as if Chloe was there watching, saying “It’s okay mom, this dog needs your love like I did.”

It took a few days to decide on a name, but soon it was decided that her name would be Sloane. A new name for a new beginning. Julie shares that Sloane adjusted quickly to her new life, loves to play with her dog brother, lounge on the sofa, and be the center of attention.

“Sloane has brought a burst of joy to our lives,” says Julie. “We are so grateful to be her forever family.”