Tears as Beagle Saved From Animal-Testing Lab Has Panic Attack at Groomers

A dog owner has detailed the distressing circumstances that led to her senior rescue beagle having a panic attack during a trip to the groomers.

Samantha McGraw has been passionate about animals all her life. "My family always adopted chickens from rescue sanctuaries and dogs from shelters," she told Newsweek.

That love continued into her time at college when, after moving into her own apartment, she decided to adopt a dog. This ended up being her beagle, Ted, who, through no fault of his own, came with some baggage.

Ted had spent the first five years of his life being used for animal testing. Originally brought to McGraw's university as one of 40 beagles intended to be used for educational purposes in the vet tech department, in a surprise turn of events, the college closed, meaning each of the dogs needed to be adopted out.

"I was blessed to adopt the last beagle they had," McGraw said. However, even then, she said she was told by his carers that Ted was the "most traumatized and in the worst condition."

The subject of animal testing is one that divides Americans today, with a Pew Research Center survey finding that, while 47 percent of respondents are in favor, 52 percent oppose the practice. McGraw hopes that Ted's story might shift opinion for some.

The Humane Society of the United States says that as many as 60,000 dogs are used in experimentation of this kind across the U.S. every year. Beagles like Ted are chosen for animal testing because they are considered small and docile, meaning they are easy to manage in a laboratory setting.

Ted might be considered one of the lucky ones, given that he survived his ordeal and is no longer being tested on. However, the scars of his experience run deep, as McGraw quickly realized after adopting him.

"Training Ted was no easy task, especially as a college student," she said. "I did everything in my power to teach him that not all humans are bad. I also had to get him on an anxiety medication suggested by his vet. He is a very scheduled dog now and needs extra attention, love, and understanding."

Thankfully, in McGraw, Ted has found a human companion able to cater to his needs. "Ted's favorite thing to do is nap and eat cookies," she said. "He is an older dog and really finds peace in being able to sleep after a good treat!"

But, even with all that extra love and care, Ted still struggles from time to time. One such occasion came during a recent trip to the groomers. McGraw had booked him in for a special "VIP groom" that day, which meant she was allowed to stay in the room and that only one person worked on Ted over a relatively brief 25-minute period.

"Ted is usually used to this," McGraw said. "But sadly his anxiety was too high, and he got spooked by the vacuum. He started howling and couldn't control his bladder and bowels."

McGraw was thankful for the way the groomer handled the situation, but ultimately the session was cut short as Ted was "pretty shook." Thankfully, once he had got home and had some of his anxiety medication, Ted was back to his normal self. "Once he was home, you could tell he was relieved and in his safe space again," McGraw said.

Incidents like this have happened before, but McGraw said they are less frequent now and she knows what to do when it happens. "I remove him from the situation and tell him everything is going to be OK," she added. "We go home, which always helps, and then will avoid the situation for a while before trying again."

Even so, as a result of Ted's panic attack, McGraw said she is planning on bathing him at home herself for the next few months before gradually reintroducing him to the groomer again.

McGraw posted a video to TikTok under the handle @sammcgraww, showing her comforting Ted in the wake of his panic attack. She regularly posts clips to the account to highlight not only the impact animal testing has had on Ted but also her own opposition to the practice.

"I hope people understand that animal testing traumatizes animals," McGraw said. "It's an outdated way of science, and there are plenty of alternatives that are more successful than testing." McGraw believes companies who conduct animal testing need to be made "accountable" and to realize "breathing beings are more important than profit."

It's likely that Ted will always retain the mental scars left by his own experience, but McGraw hopes by sharing his story and experience, she might ultimately stop other dogs from going through the same.