'Patience, patience, and more patience': Rescuers address trauma, behavioral needs in beagles from Ridglan Farms
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Beagles released from Ridglan Farms will continue to be placed in foster homes and rescues across the country this week.
The Wisconsin Humane Society is scheduled to pick up 130 of them on Monday afternoon, with 20 heading to the Milwaukee campus.
As some dogs start to settle in, rescuers are addressing their need for both medical and behavioral attention before making them available to the public.
It's been exactly a week since Emilie Rackovan, the director of Thrifted Kittens Animal Rescue, picked up her foster beagle, named Daffy.
She has already seen him blossom in many ways but has also learned his challenges.
"His confidence is increasing, he's playing with toys, but he is also really struggling with how to be alone, because he's never really been alone his whole entire life," she explained. "He is obsessed with me."
When Rackovan leaves the house, Daffy's separation anxiety is severe, even if other animals are around.
"He was just non-stop crying, barking, circling, panting excessively, to the point where when I would walk over there, heat was rising off of his pen," she said.
Daffy's struggles aren't surprising. The rescues taking in Ridglan beagles are preparing to address behavioral issues.
"It could take days, weeks, months, even years for these dogs to adapt," said Carol Sumbry, a certified behavior consultant and professional dog trainer.
Sumbry's expertise is rooted in a trauma-informed approach. She said beagles are already a breed that is prone to separation anxiety, and that can worsen with trauma.
"When areas of the brain become over-triggered or over-activated because of chronic stress, or that trauma that may come from the research labs, their brain becomes different," she explained. "Everything becomes the bear in the woods."
These dogs haven't been in homes before. Some don't know how to walk on a leash or certain floors; some are skittish and shy.
"The ones I've seen look very conflicted, like, 'I want to trust - I'm afraid. I want to trust - I'm not sure about that,'" Sumbry said. "You'll see that forward and backward movement."
Rackovan has noticed the same with the four beagles being fostered within her rescue.
"This is like, quite literally, an entirely new world for him, so we're really doing whatever to make him comfortable," she said. "A lot of it is just decompression, like he needs to learn how to live in this totally new world, and then we're also working with a veterinary behaviorist."
Sumbry said the key right now is to introduce these dogs slowly and safely to the world.
"Patience, patience, and more patience," she stressed. "We're really trying to do everything the right way, so that people are happy, the dogs are happy, and they thrive in their new homes."
Rescues have already received a lot of interest from adopters. Sumbry recommends those interested do their research.
She notes that beagles are a hunting breed, so they aren't quiet; they will often loudly bay, and they follow their nose everywhere.
"People often say beagles are stubborn; they're not stubborn. Their scent and their nose overpower anything else, even their vision," she explained.
It's also important to consider the time and financial commitment these dogs will need, like potty training and veterinary bills, along with additional behavioral training.
"There was a study that showed fear and anxiety can shorten a dog's life by two years. That's a long time," Sumbry said. "Dogs don't have to live in fear their whole life. There is so much we can do."
Adopters should also consider the potential for medical needs over time.
Rackovan said the four beagles at her rescue are currently being treated for urinary tract infections and intestinal parasites.
They won't be ready for adoption until they're in better shape, both physically and mentally.
"We don't expect that they're going to go to their new homes, like, a perfect dog. Any dog is going to be a work in progress. But we do want to see certain milestones," Rackovan said. "We really don't want for them to have to go through another transition. We want them to get adopted and then just be home, to get to live the rest of their lives."