A new family pet has joined Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their kids
Archie and Lilibet.
Mamma Mia is a 7-year-old beagle that the Sussexes adopted, a spokeswoman
for the couple told ABC News.
The puppy was chosen by Harry and Meghan from the Beagle Freedom Project, a
Los Angeles-based animal rescue and advocacy group, and is currently
residing with them at their house in Montecito, California.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, Mamma Mia was one of
4,000 beagles rescued in July from a Virginia facility that was reportedly
breeding canines to be sold for testing.
According to Reuters, the facility, Envigo RMS LLC, settled with the
authorities without having to pay any penalties after being charged by the
Justice Department in May for allegedly violating the Animal Welfare Act.
Inotiv Inc., the parent firm of the factory, made the closure announcement
in June.
The Sussexes' new dog, along with eight of her pups, were brought to the
Beagle Freedom Project after being rescued.
Harry and Meghan visited the Beagle Freedom Project's offices this month
and particularly picked Mamma Mia, according to Shannon Keith, the project's
director, who spoke to the Los Angeles Times.
Keith said, "The duchess is holding Mia and was like, "We're adopting her."
"No, we don't want a Christmas puppy, she said. We want elderly people who
we can assist."
More information on the fire in Archie's nursery is provided by Duchess
Meghan.
It's not the Sussexes' first time to adopt a beagle from a shelter.
When Meghan relocated from Toronto to London to be with Harry, she took
Guy, a rescue beagle from Kentucky, with her.
Editors' Choices
1 Lili, the daughter of Prince Harry, has reached a new milestone.
April 20, 2022
2 On June 4, 2022, Prince Harry, Meghan's daughter, celebrates her first
birthday in the UK amid speculation about their potential first
encounter.
3 On July 6, 2022, Prince William and Kate accompany their dog Orla to a
polo match.
Guy was at Meghan's side on the day of the couple's wedding in 2018,
according to her longtime friend and makeup artist Daniel Martin.
"We consumed breakfast. She had Guy, her dog, with us. Martin, who applied
Meghan's cosmetics on her wedding day, said: "We were playing with him
"about July 2018. Her mother was there, which was great. It was a really
laid-back morning.
Bogart, a Labrador-shepherd mix who resided with Meghan in Toronto but did
not go to London, was another rescue dog that she had.
Additionally, Harry and Meghan acquired a Labrador puppy in August
2018.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Prince Harry and Meghan reconnect with the royal
family during the queen's Platinum Jubilee
Meghan served as the royal patron of Mayhew, a British organization that
promotes animal welfare, during her tenure as a senior working royal, a
position she and Harry left in 2020.
Meghan said in the prologue of the organization's 2019 annual report, "As a
happy rescue dog owner, I know from personal experience the pleasure that
bringing an animal into your home can offer." "While organizations like
Mayhew play a crucial part in rehoming and saving these creatures, we as
individuals cannot overstate how important that role is."
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