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By Melissa Fleur Afshar
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A social media video of a former testing animal enjoying his first taste of a frothy pup cup has delighted audiences across the internet.
Ted the beagle had spent the first five years of his life in a testing facility, and as the viral TikTok video explains, had always been hesitant to accept any of the treats that his new owner would offer to him outside of their home.
A breakthrough came recently when Ted "trusted [their local] barista" and tucked into a tasty pup cup full of whipped cream in the outside world, which can usually be a source of anxiety for him.
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"I got Ted when I was 20," Ted's owner, Sam McGraw, told Newsweek. "I adopted him from a college that rescued a group of animal-tested beagles to then use for educational research in a veterinary technical program."
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Before being adopted by McGraw, Ted the beagle had spent his entire life in the testing facility. While she's unsure about the extent of abuse he suffered and what exactly he'd been put through, McGraw told Newsweek that Ted exhibited many concerning behavioral issues related to stress, potty training and anxiety when he first moved in. The pair now live together in Florida.
"I just credited that down to him being an older adoptee, I hadn't researched into animal testing right away which is very ignorant," McGraw said.
Ted's owner has since leveled up her understanding of the practice and now works as a full-time animal advocate and influencer. An estimated more than 50 million dogs, cats, monkeys, rabbits, rats and other animals are forced to endure painful experiments in the United States each year, according to The Humane Society of the United States.
The college that saved Ted was abruptly closed down and so he and a handful of other testing beagles were sold for $40. Due to his background, McGraw hasn't determined exactly how old Ted is, but he's suspected to be between 11 and 13 years old according to veterinary assessments.
"From my vet's observations, it looks from Ted's scars and markings that he had been used for cosmetic or chemical testing which is rare since most beagles are used for medical testing," McGraw said. "Since testing is severely unregulated and protected by such minimal laws, my vet reckoned that Ted was likely to have been used for multiple types of testing."
Despite all he's been through in his short life, Ted's owner calls her beloved beagle "special and forgiving."
"He shows me that animals can be forgiving under the worst circumstances. We don't need animal testing anymore and I hope Ted can be a symbol in the future for progressive change in the testing fields," McGraw said.
Over 35,000 delighted viewers have liked the video of Ted's happy moment, which McGraw shared to TikTok on May 14 under the handle @SammMcGraww.
"I'm literally tearing up over this dog and his pup cup," one TikTok user wrote under the post.
"This warms my heart, Team Ted all the way," another person commented.
McGraw is hoping to draw more attention to the unregulated state of animal testing and the devastating impact it can have on animals through her multiple social media accounts.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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