I’m taking a moment off from writing about COVID, inflation, Joe Biden, and other unpleasant stories to bring you something actually nice this Friday. It’s not Beatlemania—it’s Beaglemania! To wit, 4,000 beagles who were being raised in a troubled Virginia research facility have been rescued and have arrived at animal shelters across the country. They’re now waiting for adoption.

My guess is that most won’t have to sit long.

If I had my druthers, I would just fill the rest of this story with videos of the cuties, because let’s face it, they’re freakin’ adorable. You might consider that a little, shall we say, not exactly hard-hitting news, so I’ll try not to include every single bit of footage of the furballs now available on the internet. But for now, let’s get the Beagle Party started with this:

The Humane Society of the United States is working to get 4,000 beagles from a troubled Virginia breeding facility to shelters where they can be adopted.

So far, more than 2,000 beagles have been rescued. pic.twitter.com/mf7KhGqMmW

— The Associated Press (@AP) August 11, 2022

I want one. I really really want one. But we have two dogs already, and I’ve experienced life with three, and let me just tell you it’s just a little too much. Now, what else can I tell you before posting more videos?

Federal inspectors had found that the puppies were living in “deplorable” conditions, and in July a federal judge approved a request by the Justice Department and the Humane Society to remove them from the facility. The New York Post reports:

As part of a court order, the beagles were rescued in July from where they were bred at the Envigo breeding and research facility in Cumberland [Virginia] in one of the largest canine rescue efforts in US history, according to the Humane Society of the United States.

Now they are being sent as far as California, Wyoming, Florida and Massachusetts in the hopes of finding their forever homes, WUSA9 reported.

The puppies were to be sold for use in pharmaceutical and biotech research, according to Envigo’s website.

Ok, time for another video. Wait for the third pup to come out:

Beagle puppies are instant serotonin 🥰🥰🥰🥰

Credit/Imgur/popgorsthebeezer pic.twitter.com/nudtEZk4Gn

— Danny Deraney (@DannyDeraney) August 10, 2022

They are just too danged cute–how did Fauci keep his job after news broke about his involvement in this type of stuff?

While this is supposed to be a happy Friday story, I do have to point out the bad news about these potential canine companions, which is that the puppies were being abused, as local Washington D.C. television station WUSA9 station reported:

Federal officials spent months accusing Envigo of a series of animal welfare violations. Investigators claim the facility performed unnecessarily painful medical experiments on dogs and puppies, including euthanasia without sedatives.

Back to the good news:

“This is one of the largest dog rescue efforts ever coordinated and has truly been a group effort,” Sue Bell, executive director of Homeward Trails, said. “To know that these dogs will get to have the lives they deserve and not languish in cages for the rest of their lives is just so rewarding.”

One more video!

Interested in adopting or fostering one of the #4000Beagles? 💙🐶

Check out our growing list of partners that are accepting the beagles into their adoption programs: https://t.co/bO7XqeUMv8 pic.twitter.com/x9F9ZJCFu4

— The Humane Society of the United States (@HumaneSociety) August 4, 2022

In all seriousness, there’s a lot of concerning news out there these days, and sometimes it feels like this country is coming apart at the seams. It’s important to remember the things we love: our families, our communities, and yes, our pets. If you want to add a new adorable member to your family, here’s a list of places where these beagles can be found and adopted. I might just run into you at the adoption center…