Beagle rescued from Wisconsin research facility finds forever home in Bonita Springs

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. —

One of the 18 beagles brought to the Gulf Coast from a controversial Wisconsin biomedical research facility has found her forever home.

Anabelle, a tiny but confident beagle, is settling in with her new family in Bonita Springs after the team at Guardians of Florida Animal Rescue rescued beagles from Ridglan Farms last month.

Kristin Paulson said she was happy to make the dog family.

"She's got a few battle scars, I guess we all do," Paulson said. "You can go through things in your life, but you can just come out the other side and have a good life and be happy."

Anabelle is one of 1,500 beagles rescued from the biomedical research breeding facility that faced nationwide scrutiny over its treatment of animals.

"You can get your thoughts going, and then you read different things and it just, it's sickening to think about what they've been through," Paulson said. "But, you just kind of focus on what you can do to make her life better moving forward."

Seventeen of the rescued dogs remain at Guardians of Florida Animal Rescue, where they are now learning how to just be a dog.

"Everything from what it means to have a collar and a leash on, what it means to take a treat, what it means to play with a toy, a bone to chew," said Dana Bursch, co-founder of Guardians of Florida Animal Rescue.

Bursch said Paulson’s home was the perfect fit for Anabelle, who now has a new big brother, Asher, who also came from Guardians of Florida.

"We just wanted to make sure it was the best case scenario, the best situation, for any dog, especially a dog who's been through trauma like this," Paulson said. "When they did the meet and greet, it was perfect."

Applications for the rescued beagles are still open, though many have already been submitted. The rescue is still encouraging people to apply, as they said they're looking for candidates who are the right fit for each beagle. Guardians of Florida Animal Rescue also has other dogs available for adoption.

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