Harry and Meghan adopt beagle called Mamma Mia

In August 2022, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, adopted a seven-year-old rescue beagle named Mamma Mia, often called “Mia.” The dog was rescued from a large-scale breeding operation in the United States, where beagles had been kept in conditions that led to a high-profile animal welfare intervention earlier that year. Mamma Mia was among dozens of beagles taken in by the Beagle Freedom Project, an animal rescue organization that specializes in rehabilitating dogs released from laboratory testing and commercial breeding facilities. The Sussexes adopted Mia from this group, adding her to their household in California, which already included another rescue beagle named Guy and a black Labrador. The adoption drew attention to the broader rescue effort involving hundreds of beagles that had been removed from a breeding facility in Virginia in 2022 following regulatory concerns. Animal welfare groups worked to relocate and care for the dogs, many of which were placed with families across the United States. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to adopt Mia aligned with their previously known support for animal welfare and rescue initiatives. The adoption also highlighted the ongoing work of organizations involved in rehoming animals from commercial breeding and research environments.