The Great Beagle Rescue

More than 1,600 Beagles Get a Second Chance.

A Rescue Story That Reminds Us Why Every Dog Deserves a Chance

This week, animal welfare organizations announced that another 135 beagles are being removed from Ridglan Farms, a breeding and research facility in Wisconsin. Combined with earlier transfers, the total number of dogs rescued from the facility has now reached 1,635. Some of them have never walked on grass.

For dog lovers, that number is almost impossible to grasp. 1,635 beagles. 1,635 wagging tails. 1,635 dogs who may soon discover grass, couches, toys, family dinners, and the simple joy of belonging to someone.

The Fund For Animals

Besides breaking my heart, the news made me reflect on the beginning of my public relations career. One of my first clients was The Fund for Animals, founded by the actress and legendary animal advocate Gretchen Wyler. If her name sounds familiar, it may be because she famously persuaded actress Zsa Zsa Gabor to give up her mink coats, shining a spotlight on the cruelty of the fur trade.

One of the issues we focused on was ending vivisection, the use of animals in research and testing. It was, and still is, an emotional topic that sparks passionate debate. People on both sides point to science, ethics, and medicine to support their views. For me, however, my position has never changed. Animals should not be used in research. Period.

Years later, I wrote about the fight against animal research in my first memoir, I’m Not Single, I Have a Dog: Dating Tales From the Bark Side. At the time, I never imagined I would one day be writing about the rescue of more than 1,600 beagles from a research breeding facility. Yet here we are.

Why Beagles?

Many people are surprised to learn that beagles have long been among the most commonly used dog breeds in laboratory research. And it’s not because they are somehow the dogs closest to humans. Unfortunately, many of the same qualities that make beagles wonderful family pets have also made them appealing to research facilities.

Beagles have historically been chosen because they are relatively small, easy to handle, social with other dogs, and generally gentle and cooperative. Researchers also value the consistency of working with a breed whose health characteristics are well documented.

Anyone who has ever shared a home with a beagle knows they are affectionate, curious, and eager to be part of the family. They don’t ask for much. A warm place to sleep. A few treats. Someone to love. Which makes it all the more moving to imagine these dogs finally getting the lives they deserve.

Learning to Be Dogs

Many of the rescued beagles have spent their entire lives in breeding or research settings. Some have never played with a toy. Some have never climbed stairs. Some have never slept on a couch or curled up beside a person in bed.

Rescue organizations often describe a learning curve as former research subjects adjust to life outside the facility. Every day experiences that most dogs take for granted can feel completely new.

The first toy. The first car ride. The first time someone calls them a good dog. The first family. For many of these beagles, the rescue is only the beginning of their journey.

It’s All About The Dogs

The latest group of rescued dogs will be distributed among several organizations, including the Beagle Freedom Project in California, founded by Shannon Keith, an animal rights attorney and advocate whom I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. Others will go to Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Florida, where volunteers will love them until they are placed in adoptive homes.

That’s the part of the story I keep coming back to. Not the controversy. Not the lawsuits. Not the politics. The dogs.

I like the thought that somewhere tonight, a family may be preparing to meet a beagle who has never known what it means to belong. A dog who may be nervous. A dog who may be shy. A dog who may need patience. But also a dog who finally has a chance.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned after a lifetime with dogs, it’s this: Dogs are remarkably forgiving. Give them safety. Give them kindness. Give them time. And they often find their way back to trust.

For more than 1,600 beagles, that journey has finally begun.

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Thanks for reading BlissDog: Soul Stories About the Human–Animal Bond. Here, you’ll find stories about remarkable dogs, therapy dog adventures, rescue journeys, the lessons our animals teach us, and the extraordinary bond that connects us to them.

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And Now I’d Love to Hear From You

Have you ever adopted a rescue dog? What was the biggest adjustment they had to make—and what did they teach you along the way?

Until next time, give your dogs an extra hug from me, Seven, and Paige Turner. 🐾