'Freegle' Beagles Reunite

Scores of beagles roamed Kennedy Dells Park on Sunday, reuniting to commemorate the one-year anniversary of their freedom from a testing facility in N.J.

The "," as these lucky dogs have been nicknamed, were freed last year from Aniclin Preclinical Services, a testing facility in Warren County, N.J. whose parent company went bankrupt. One hundred and twenty beagles inside steel cages were found abandoned in the locked building and were eventually rescued by several different groups.

Lisa Spadoro of Pets Alive in Middletown said her organization participated in freeing 90 of the dogs from the facility. Another organization, Pets Alive Animal Sanctuary in Middletown, got the dogs ready to find forever homes. The organization was very careful about who received the dogs. The testing was said to not have been invasive, but the dogs had never seen the outside world.

"I had never seen so many beagles. I've worked for Adopt a Dog for eight years and this was the biggest rescue I had ever seen, besides Hurricane Katrina," said Kristin Alouisa of Adopt a Dog in Armonk. 

Four of the dogs the organization rescued attended Sunday’s reunion, which was coordinated by Debbie Vobroucek, an employee in the Rockland County Clerk’s Office who owns one of the “Freegles.”

"We have a Facebook group called Freegle Friends, where we keep in touch. Fourty-five families responded. We all really wanted to put this event together. I'm very happy with the turnout," Vobroucek said.

Sunday’s event included a potluck picnic. There also was a special dedication speech made in honor of a lost Freegle, who was hit by a car after leaving home. His ashes were spread on a field at the park.

The rest of the event, however, was more joyous. The families who adopted the beagles mingled with one another, sharing stories of their experiences. Families from several different areas adopted many of the dogs. Only one beagle at the picnic was a local—Lucy, a “Freegle” that now lives in Orangeburg.

"She was a little nervous at first, but now she's great," said Lucy's adoptive dad, Joe D'Introno. "We have three other dogs [at] home. I think that made a big difference. I name all my dogs after Snoopy characters. There's Linus, Shroeder, and Bell. We wanted to name her Lucy and when we got there to adopt her, they had already named her Lucy. It was perfect."

Tracy Lewis, another “Freegle” owner, came from Ottawa Canada.

"My beagle had recently died and I knew I wanted to get another from a rescue,” she said. “I Googled rescue beagles and this was the first thing that came up. I put in my application and heard back within a week."

Jennifer Chen of Bridegwater, New Jersey also attended with her dog.

"He's doing well," she said. "He can be a little funny at times. He tries to play with the cat, but she hisses at him.”

Lynn and Chris Phillips of Wappinger Falls said their dog, Shiloh, was a little shy, but doing well otherwise.

"He's not having problems with anxiety like some of the others,” they said. “He now says hi to people whenever we're walking on the street.”

Buddy, a “Freegle” that now lives on the Upper West Side, made it to New City for the reunion with his parents, Sivia and Chanan Golub.

"He started off afraid to come out of his crate. Then one day I plopped him on the couch and now he won't leave," Chanan Golub said. 

Sally, Steve, Sam, and AJ Casadevall of Morristown, New Jersey, all came out to support their “Freegle,” Rudy.

"We have another beagle at home," Steve Casadevall said. "He loves to play with her. He jumps right over her. He's doing great."

Margaret Chadwick of New Rochelle said it’s been exciting to watch her “Freegle,” Clara, mature and experience the world.

"It's amazing watching her see things she's never seen before, like the grass, the sky. Everything is new,” she said. "She watches the rain and the snow. She doesn't even bark. Such a miracle. She's learning to become a dog."