Gibson and Butler said they felt compelled to weigh in on the effort after the dogs were transported from Ridglan Farms to the Dane County Humane Society in Madison on Tuesday, where volunteers held beagles as the animals were taken for veterinary health checks, vaccinations and other care.
Gibson, who released her debut album as a teenager in 1987, described the moment of holding individual dogs as deeply emotional. “It was so profound to be able to hold each of these dogs in our arms and be able to assure them that their new life was starting,” Gibson said. “Today was a very emotional day.”
Butler said he has kept pets over the years and credited them with steady companionship. At the humane society, Butler said of the dogs at the center that “They’ve never let me down,” adding, “They’re always loving.” He said he has five dogs and five cats at home.
The transfer work centers on the beagles that Ridglan Farms sold to a partnership between the Center for a Humane Economy and Big Dog Ranch Rescue. Both groups say they oppose using animals in research and said the deal to buy the beagles was reached last month for an undisclosed amount.
The plan follows months of heightened attention around Ridglan Farms, where police and animal welfare activists clashed during a protest outside the facility. According to the report, police used tear gas and pepper spray to turn back activists, who said they were there to take the dogs; the same account said protesters broke into the facility in March and took 30 dogs.
Multiple groups are now working to move the purchased beagles from temporary settings into veterinary care facilities and then to shelters around the country for adoption, the Associated Press reported. The first group of 1,000 dogs was removed earlier this month and placed in temporary shelters with agencies partnering with Big Dog Ranch Rescue, while the Dane County Humane Society began receiving the remaining 500 beagles this week.
Interest from potential adopters has outpaced capacity, the report said. Amy Good, the society’s director of marketing, said more than 1,300 people have expressed interest in adopting the dogs through the Dane County Humane Society.
The report also described the backdrop for the transfer: Ridglan Farms agreed in October to surrender its state breeding license effective July 1 as part of a deal to avoid prosecution on felony animal mistreatment charges. Ridglan Farms has denied mistreating animals, and a special prosecutor determined that the company was performing eye procedures that violated state veterinary standards.
Butler characterized Tuesday’s visit as a milestone in ending experiments on animals. “This is just the beginning,” he said, after calling it “a historic day” for the end of experimenting on animals. Gibson said she planned to foster and possibly adopt one of the beagles she met, explaining, “This little guy was the last one put in my arms, and I couldn’t put him back in a cage.”
The two music figures also joked about whether they might collaborate on a song about dogs. Butler said, “Maybe,” with a smile and a beagle still on his lap.