In 2010, nearly 200 dogs and over 50 cats were saved from a North Carolina animal testing facility, after an undercover investigation exposed callous treatment and even malicious abuse of the animals by laboratory personnel. (See AWI Quarterly, fall 2010.) The lab was shut down and AWI and other animal welfare organizations were given a scant few days to find homes for the animals to save them from being euthanized. We enlisted over a dozen no-kill shelters and rescue groups from New Jersey to Florida to take in all the dogs and cats. One such group was the Associated Humane Societies (AHS) of New Jersey, which took in nearly three dozen beagles and subsequently adopted them out. The last two to leave AHS—Moxie and Huckleberry—were adopted by the family of Carol Vinzant. Six years later, Carol wrote to AHS to provide the following update:
Moxie and Huck live in constant companionship—and chaos.
They are still always cuddling—or stealing from each other.
We thank you for trusting us with these two sweeties when we had just an apartment in Manhattan. This year we moved to a house in the suburbs and for the first time they have their own fenced yard. Huck is still confused by having a whole house and sometimes runs to the basement to find us when the doorbell rings. But he loves gardening; it's winter and he still runs to his tomato patch, hoping for one last one to steal.
We made Moxie a Snoopy dog house, which she jumps on for a treat. Moxie was the hit of the Sleepy Hollow Halloween parade, riding her dog house all the way. She was so shy when we got her, but now she loves showing off and getting fussed over. . . .
The beagles spread happiness wherever they go. They inspired us to take in a foster beagle . . . from the group Saving Older Beagles. . . . Our daughter Ginger is now 5. She was born nine months after we adopted [Moxie and Huck] and has been raised by beagles. She calls us the Beagle family. When Moxie disappears at night, we find her sleeping with Ginger. We are all so lucky to have them.
AWI is pleased that we could contribute to this rescue and rehoming effort, and tickled to hear Moxie and Huckleberry’s heartwarming “happily ever after” story.