When a stray, purebred husky was found wandering the streets, his rescuers knew nothing of his past or who was responsible for him.
But through a little bit of investigation, they'd soon find out.
Although the FDA has acknowledged that 92 percent of products that are deemed safe through animal testing still wind up being harmful to humans, using animals in research is still standard practice in the medical and cosmetic fields.
"This method was done by our amazing rehabber Jennifer Gray. She placed a fake tail on him and little by little began to cut it, so that he knew it was gone," Keith explained. "Now he is fine with it." She also noted that Nate is doing "much better" dealing with times that he feels alone or confined.
According to Keith, Nate's freedom to investigate smells and sounds is a stark contrast from his old life: "Dogs from labs are almost always kept isolated in tiny, steel metal cages, with no enrichment or interaction."
Keith also wrote that these cages have nothing inside to distract the dogs from their isolation, and any communication is limited to the bare necessities of life as a research dog. "The only interaction they have with humans is during feeding and cleaning time, and when they are being tested on," she continued.
Keith founded the BFP in 2010 in order to find loving homes for former research dogs. Since then, the organization has rescued beagles - a popular breed in research due to their "docile, trusting" nature - as well as many other breeds of dogs, such as huskies like Nate.
Keith told The Dodo that rescuing former lab dogs is the most rewarding job she's ever had. "After all they have endured for cosmetics, household products, pharmaceuticals and plain curiosities, they deserve something better than death, which is the norm." She hopes that labs will continue to cooperate with her organization, so the dogs can live the life they deserve.
Watch BFP's full video on Nate below.