Did you know that beagles, one of Americaโs most cherished dog breeds, are the most common canine victims of laboratory testing due to their extremely docile nature? This heartbreaking reality motivates Shannon Keith, our guest today, who is an animal rights lawyer and the founder of the Beagle Freedom Project.
Beagle Freedom Project is the worldโs leading organization for rescuing and rehoming animals used in experimental research. Since 2010, they have liberated thousands of animals while working to end their abuse through education, advocacy, and legislation. Each day they move closer to their ultimate goal of a world without animal testing!
Driven by a profound love for animals and a fierce pursuit of justice, Shannon has made animal rights law into reality, while continuing to dedicate her life to rescuing these gentle creatures from labs and advocating for legislative changes to end their suffering.
๐๏ธ In this episode, we discuss:
๐๐ผ Shannon's transition from practicing lawyer to founding the Beagle Freedom Project and becoming a global animal rights advocate.
๐๐ผ The daily operations at the Beagle Freedom Project, including rescue missions and rehabilitation, sharing touching stories of success along with the challenges they face.
๐๐ผ The ethical dilemmas of using animals, specifically beagles, in laboratory testing.
๐๐ผ How public figures like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to adopt an older beagle can inspire others to choose adoption.
๐๐ผ The landmark FDA Modernization Bill of 2022 that eliminated mandatory animal testing for drug approval in the U.S., a significant achievement led by advocates including Shannon.
๐๐ผ Ongoing efforts to pass state laws that require companies to release animals used in testing to shelters instead of euthanizing them.
๐๐ผ Shannon's efforts to expand animal rights courses in universities and introduce animal advocacy into classrooms globally through the Beagle Freedom Projectโs Classroom initiative.
๐๐ผ The innovative Cruelty-Cutter app that helps consumers identify products tested on animals.
๐๐ผ How you can support the Beagle Freedom Project and contribute to the fight against animal testing.
Follow Beagle Freedom Project on Social Media:
โจ Instagram
โจ Twitter
โจ TikTok:
โจ Facebook:
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How We Change the World is a weekly podcast designed to inspire hope, encourage action, and celebrate progress in the realms of climate change, poverty, health, governance, social justice, education, animal welfare, conservation, and other pressing issue areas. Every Wednesday, tune in to hear in-depth conversations with activists, advocates, and other changemakers whose stories of triumph, tragedy, and tenacity will encourage you to explore your own problem-solving potential.