Coalition Wraps 1,500-Beagle Rescue as Final Dogs Reach Madison Shelter

Overview

• The last roughly 500 beagles are now at the Dane County Humane Society in Madison for exams, vaccinations, microchipping and short-term care before transfer to rescue partners.
• The first 1,000 dogs left earlier in May under a confidential purchase by the Center for a Humane Economy and Big Dog Ranch Rescue to rehome about 1,500 beagles nationwide.
• Interest in adoption is strong, with the Dane County Humane Society reporting more than 1,300 inquiries for the dogs.
• Ridglan Farms agreed in October to give up its Wisconsin breeding license on July 1 to avoid prosecution after a special prosecutor found eye procedures that violated state veterinary standards, which the farm denies amounted to mistreatment.
• Debbie Gibson and Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler appeared at the staging site as organizers tied the rescue to a congressional push to end federal funding for dog testing, citing recent FDA and NIH shifts toward non‑animal research methods.