Willow's Legacy

It all started in April 2023, at an Animatch meet and greet, when we met and fell in love with a little 8-year-old Beagle. Three days later, we were on our way to Pointe-Fortune to pick up our girl and on the drive home, we decided to name her Willow. We didn’t know it at the time, but hundreds of kilometers away, there was a little Beagle sitting in a cage in a research facility whose fate was sealed at that exact moment. He didn’t have a name; he was only known as a number.

After adopting Willow, we found out that Beagles were used in animal testing. Why Beagles? Because they’re gentle and forgiving. After seeing the story of a former research Beagle named Rose, we felt called to do something, anything, to help. We reached out to The Beagle Alliance, a rescue/advocacy group in Canada who focuses on research animals, and we submitted an application to become a foster family. About a year and a half later, we received the call; two little research Beagles were being released from a testing facility and they were both coming to Montréal. They were named Leonard and Suzuki and Leonard came to stay with us.

Rose’s story ~ https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14Kwh8W1fmQ/Leonard &

Suzuki’s story ~ https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CKcnpcPz4/

Once the boys arrived in Montréal, they took their first steps of freedom in the backyard of an Animatch volunteer. When we took Leonard home, Willow, an Animatch alumni, encouraged Leonard to step out of the transport crate and has been walking alongside him since that moment. A few weeks later, they went to the Animatch clinic to be vetted. Even though Leonard and Suzuki weren’t Animatch dogs, they were loved and supported by the wonderful Animatch team since day one.

I wanted to share this story to show how a little senior Beagle who was rescued by Animatch had a ripple effect on so many lives. I also wanted to shed a light on the animals who are used in research. Many people think these animals are beyond saving because of the trauma they’ve endured. Leonard and Suzuki are lucky because most of the animals used in animal testing don’t make it out alive. In an ideal world, animal testing would be replaced by other methods, but unfortunately, we’re not there yet. Until we get there, I believe those animals should be given the opportunity to experience love and freedom after serving the sentence that was imposed on them and surviving the life they were born into. Leonard is a reminder that dogs are resilient and that with a little bit of love and patience, most dogs can become the best family members.

I would like to end this by saying that we failed at being Leonard’s foster home as we recently decided to adopt him. We are so grateful he found his way to us and look forward to showering him with love and kindness for the rest of his life.

Thank you Animatch for the role you played in Leonard and Suzuki’s happily ever after, it really takes a village to make the world a better and kinder place for animals.

S. ~ Willow, Leonard & Harley’s mom