Rescued Lab Beagle Discovers His Favorite Toy-and His Joy Is Absolutely Contagious
Rescuing a dog is one of the most rewarding things a human can do for dozens of reasons, but one of my personal favorites is the simplest. You get to teach them how to play! You get to watch them learn what toys are, what toys they like, and how they personally like to use them.
One Beagle was recently rescued from an animal testing lab, and he had never even seen a toy before. He had hardly ever been out of a cage, even, so getting to play was out of the question... And yet, he found his favorite toy almost immediately:
@zoerosenberg_ Chester was rescued from a laboratory cage at Ridglan Farms just 9 days ago. Slowly but surely, he's learning to run, play, and feel safe. #dogrescue#adoptdontshop#endanimaltesting#beagle
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Zoe Rosenberg is so kind for rescuing this sweet Beagle boy. Cases like his are so complex, and a lot of people would be very fearful of rescuing a dog like him, but not her! He'll get to live a safe and happy life because she's so brave. In addition to teaching him what toys are, Chester has also learned:
- What a bed is.
- How to sleep in one.
- How to run.
- How to walk.
He was rescued less than a month ago from a place called Ridglan Farms, which is notorious for specifically breeding Beagles to sell off for testing in biomedical facilities. Chester has a tattoo on the inside of his ear: before he was Chester, he was a number.
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Chester's favorite toy has turned out to be his tennis ball. It doesn't make any noise, which is good for him, since he's not used to it. He can roll it and chase it! He's so good at running, you have to see:
@zoerosenberg_ The world is still scary for Chester after spending his whole life in a laboratory cage, but he's getting braver every day.
Life In Color - OneRepublic
He's still getting used to life on the outside, but he's doing great so far. As he continues learning new things, his life will get a whole lot easier! I can't wait to see it.
How to Find Rescue Lab Beagles
If Chester's story tugged at your heartstrings as much as mine, you must be thinking about the best way to help get one of these sweet dogs a loving home! I have three dogs, absolutely no room for a fourth, and yet I want to rescue every lab Beagle out there!
If you'd like to rescue a lab Beagle, the best way to do it is find a lab or a lab partner facility. For example, Ridglan Farms frequently has Beagles leaving their labs to go to forever homes, via a partner organization. Typically, labs will partner with a shelter or rescue organization to place retired dogs. Some of the "top dogs," so to speak, are:
- The Beagle Freedom Project (they rescue Ridglan Farms Beagles often).
- The Beagle Alliance (based in Canada, but accepts US applicants).
- Kindness Ranch.
It might be a little tough to find a dog in your area, depending on where you live, but a lot of places are willing to help arrange transport. If they're not, many welcome out-of-state adopters to make the trip to save dogs. It's worth it if you can! Just look at sweet Chester!
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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 4:00 PM.