When you’re a dog lover, you treat your pets like royalty. But a mama Beagle named Mia, who was recently rescued from an atrociously abusive breeding facility in Virginia, will now be living with actual royalty.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, were looking for another Beagle to complete their family. Now, they have opened their hearts and home to a sweet new addition.
Earlier this summer, 4,000 Beagles were freed from a horribly abusive breeding facility in Cumberland, Virginia. Not only were they breeding sweet, innocent Beagles to be sold to laboratories for animal experimentation, but investigators found dozens of animal welfare violations. Hundreds of puppies had died of “unknown causes,” their food dispensers were teeming with multiple species of insects, and they were crammed into dirty kennels.
Due to their awful living conditions and a lack of proper temperature control (which allowed it to be over 85 degrees for longer than five hours per day), many of the dogs were experiencing discomfort, lethargy, and stress. Some dogs were experiencing uncomfortable eye conditions, fight wounds, severe dental disease, and inflamed paws. They were all truly living awful, abuse-filled lives.
This is exactly why Harry and Meghan were so interested in adopting mama dog Mia. They were specifically set on rescuing a dog with a troubled past, one that would be even harder to place. They know puppies find homes fast and wanted to help an older dog who has not lived the easiest life.
Once they heard her story, they knew they wanted to adopt Mia, the seven-year-old mother of eight. And then, during their in-person meet and greet, everyone agreed that they were a match.
“The minute they walked in, though, Mia ran to them, tail wagging. It’s as if she knew, ‘Oh, these are my people.’ And they were just immediately loving on her. I was like, ‘Oh, this is completely meant to be.’ Because Mia hadn’t done that with anybody else she had met before.” said Shannon Keith, president and founder of Beagle Freedom Project.
Last Month, mama Mia arrived at the Beagle Freedom Project in Los Angeles with eight of her newborn puppies, but now she has a new mom and dad.
Prince Harry and Meghan have taken her to their home in California, where she will join a fellow Beagle named “Guy,” a Lab rescue, “Pula,” and two human siblings — Archie and Lilibet. Never again will she know neglect, for I’m sure this royal family will be treating their new furry family member just like a princess.
