They are going from living in confinement to discovering the sights, sounds and smells of the Tri-State.
One group arrived in Westchester this week, and last weekend more than a dozen others were flown to New Jersey.
Now, another pack is settling in on Long Island with plenty of tail wags and howls along the way.
The dogs that arrived in Smithtown on Friday have never seen grass. So watching them take their first step out melted hearts.
"They've only seen the inside of a kennel, they've never been outdoors," said Paws of War community outreach liaison Kelli Porti. "And today we wanted them to experience being outside and just being a dog."
The dogs that arrived in Smithtown are only 10 of the 1,500 beagles from the facility in Wisconsin called Ridglan Farms.
Animal rights activists stormed the area where the dogs were being bred for medical research. Video released by activists showed what appeared to be the dogs pacing in numbered cages inside.
Last Fall, Ridglan Farms was accused of performing procedures that constituted animal mistreatment, which the company denies. But they did agree to sell the dogs to rescue organizations for an undisclosed amount of money.
Paws of War in Smithtown is getting the dogs acclimated so veterans and first responders can adopt them in the coming days. Some of the volunteers are veterans themselves who understand the value in that.
"Our motto is helping both ends of the leash and that's what this dog will do with that vet, you know, first responder," said volunteer veteran Michael Sweeney.
The dogs have already received medical treatment and they'll stay with Paws of War nearby in Nesconset until their adoptions.
Meanwhile, it is a wonderful turnaround from what they had faced.
"All of these dogs would have had a future in a laboratory somewhere so it's a great, great feeling to see that they are free," said Paws of War co-founder Robert Misseri.
And certainly loved too.
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