Willow

Adopted JANUARY 2023!

Willow’s Story:

This stunning beagle girl joined Camp Cocker Rescue in September 2022 when we partnered with the Humane Society of San Diego to take in some beagles fated for a life of pain and suffering. Over 4,000 beagles had been rescued from the inhumane conditions of a high volume commercial breeder, known as Envigo, a research organization that works with the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Beagles are a naturally docile breed that is highly sought by drug companies to do experiments on. These Envigo beagles were confiscated by federal authorities due to dozens of violations and a lengthy history of mistreatment. The American Humane Society helped out by distributing the beagles to Humane Society locations all around the U.S.. Willow flew from Virginia to San Diego, CA along with 108 others, and she was one of four beagles that joined Camp Cocker that day. We could tell by the tattoo inside her ear that she was not yet a year old.

Willow was the last of the Envigo Beagles that we took into our rescue group and the one with the most severe PTSD. It took her a long time to decompress and learn to trust that not all humans will be cruel to her. Because of this, she was not really ready for adoption until a few months after her rescue. We really wanted to find Willow a gentle, patient adopter with a yard that she could feel safe in, in addition to another playful, more confident dog to help show her that she is safe. Well, her new home has both!

Now named Maple, she was adopted by a family with another rescued Envigo beagle, also named Willow! Her family tell us that Maple is such a sweet little girl with the sweetest attitude. She is quickly finding her place in the house, has had no potty accidents, and does brilliantly in her crate at night. She’s adopted one of her human sister’s lap as her favorite spot to be when she’s not laying on “her” couch in the TV room or in a dog bed next to her mom’s work station. Going for walks is something that Maple will continue to need work on, and she is still adjusting to the colder weather in Portland OR, but her sister Willow is helping her to learn about all of these new things! She still needs a little coaxing to eat and drink from bowls, but Maple’s family is patient and Willow (who is approximately the same age as Maple) is excited about her new sister and eager to show her the ropes. We are so incredibly proud of how far this sensitive lady has come already!

From Maple’s adopters: “Thanks again for giving us this opportunity to love her!!!”

We rely on your donations! Please consider donating just $5 to help us rescue more dogs in need.