Animal Welfare Groups to Remove 500 Dogs This Week from Ridglan Farms, While Announcing Plans to Support National Legislation to Halt Use of Dogs in Invasive or Painful Tests

Madison, WI, May 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

MEDIA ADVISORY

WHAT:
Press conference, featuring music legends Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath) and Debbie Gibson, highlighting the ongoing rescue and placement of the 500 remaining dogs from the accord reached between the Center for a Humane Economy, Big Dog Ranch Rescue, and Ridglan Farms.

Speakers will discuss the unprecedented animal welfare operation now underway at Ridglan, with the transfer of the dogs to a staging ground at the Dane County Humane Society.  Beagle Freedom Project is the lead agency facilitating standards of care and placement of the dogs. Coordinating the rescue effort are the Center for a Humane Economy in partnership with Beagle Freedom Project, Dane County Humane Society, the Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project, Wisconsin Federated Humane Societies, and other humane organizations. 

The Center for a Humane Economy will announce a national plan to end NIH funding for research and testing featuring invasive and painful testing on dogs. Annually, 50,000 dogs are used in such experiments, creating the market for animal suppliers to laboratories.  Speakers will focus on the outdated and non-predictive use of animals in invasive tests, including the use of 70,000 primates annually.

Following brief remarks, speakers will take questions from credentialed media.

WHO:

• Wayne Pacelle, president, the Center for a Humane Economy
• Geezer Butler, bassist and co-founder, Black Sabbath
• Debbie Gibson, recording artist and animal advocate
• Shannon Keith, founder and president of Beagle Freedom Project (virtually)
• Eilene Ribbens, founder, the Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project, and Treasurer of Wisconsin Federated Humane Societies
• Amy Good, Director of Development and Marketing Dane County Humane Society, along with Pam McCloud Smith, Executive Director
• Joseph Goode, Laffey, Leitner & Goode LLC, board member of Animal Wellness Action, and the lead negotiator for the Center for a Humane Economy of the agreement with Ridglan

DATE: Tuesday, May 12, 2026

TIME: 1:00 p.m. Central Time

WHERE:
In Person: Dane County Humane Society, 5132 Voges Rd, Madison, Wisc.

Via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89106835438?pwd=gL8Bhrmu2glEFCHKT41OP3P3qoIyFl.1

• Meeting ID: 891 0683 5438
  Passcode: 020630
• One tap mobile: +13126266799,,89106835438#,,,,*020630# US

VISUALS / B-ROLL OPPORTUNITIES:

• Rescue dogs receiving care and handling
• Transport and intake operations
• Humane society staging activities
• National advocates and celebrity participants discussing the rescue effort
• Discussion of broader reforms reducing reliance on animal testing

ABOUT
The Center for a Humane Economy is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) whose mission is to help animals by helping forge a more humane economic order. The first organization of its kind in the animal protection movement, the Center encourages businesses to honor their social responsibilities in a culture where consumers, investors, and other key stakeholders abhor cruelty and the degradation of the environment and embrace innovation as a means of eliminating both. The Center believes helping animals helps us all. X: @TheHumaneCenter

Beagle Freedom Project is the world’s leading organization for rescuing and rehoming animals used in experimental research. Since 2010, we have liberated thousands of animals while working to end their abuse through education, advocacy, and legislation. Together, we are moving closer to a world without animal testing.

Lindsey von Busch
Animal Wellness Action 
732-284-9089
Lindsey@animalwellnessaction.org

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