Rescued Lab Beagles Need San Jose Fosters

Fifty beagles rescued from Ridglan Farms in Wisconsin arrived in San Jose on May 11 after a cross-country trip arranged by Northern California Beagle Rescue, according to ABC7 San Francisco. The dogs are part of a larger transfer of 1,500 beagles purchased from the research-breeding facility by Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy under a confidential agreement, multiple organizations said. The Bay Area group said the dogs are moving into foster homes in the Bay Area and Sacramento while they receive medical evaluations and begin adjusting to life outside laboratory cages. ### Why are these beagles in Northern California? Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, agreed in late April to transfer 1,500 beagles to animal welfare groups, according to the Center for a Humane Economy and Big Dog Ranch Rescue. The groups said they would place the dogs with partner organizations around the country for treatment, socialization and adoption. (abc7news.com) ABC7 reported on May 8 that Northern California Animal Rescue Friends, also known as Northern California Beagle Rescue, was transporting 50 of the dogs to the Bay Area to be adopted out. Linea McPherson, president of the organization, told the station the dogs were scheduled to arrive in San Jose early Sunday morning. ### What kind of care do the dogs need first? (centerforahumaneeconomy.org) Northern California Beagle Rescue said the dogs are being placed in foster homes rather than a central adoption site because the group operates through volunteers and foster families across the region. The organization’s adoption page says rescued dogs are kept in foster homes or shelters throughout Northern California, and prospective adopters meet dogs through foster contacts after a screening process. (abc7news.com) ABC7 reported that the 50 dogs coming to the Bay Area were expected to receive medical evaluations the following week. The Cool Down, citing the rescue group, reported that additional foster volunteers were being sought in Fremont, San Jose and Sacramento near where the dogs were receiving treatment and care, and that donations were being collected for veterinary and rehabilitation costs. (norcalbeagles.com) ### Why are former laboratory dogs harder to place than typical rescues? Zoe Rosenberg, a Berkeley activist who took in one of the dogs, told ABC7 that everyday surroundings were new to the beagle she brought home from Wisconsin. “He’s super resilient,” Rosenberg said, adding that the dog startled easily because “everything is very new to him.” The Cool Down reported that the rescue effort is focused on giving former laboratory dogs veterinary care and time to recover before permanent placement. (abc7news.com) NBC Bay Area reported that volunteers received the dogs in the Bay Area on May 11 and began settling them into homes. ### What happened at Ridglan Farms before the dogs were released? Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy said the 1,500-dog transfer followed an agreement with Ridglan Farms, which they described as a breeder of dogs for laboratory research. (abc7news.com) ABC News, cited in search results, reported that the purchase came after protests at the facility in which police used tear gas and pepper spray to repel activists trying to remove dogs. (thecooldown.com) NBC Bay Area reported that San Francisco rescuer Dean Wyrzykowski was arrested twice this year after attempting to rescue dogs from Ridglan Farms. Wyrzykowski told the station the facility was “the second largest dog testing and breeding facility in the United States.” That characterization was attributed to him; Reuters could not independently verify the ranking from primary regulatory records in the material reviewed. (centerforahumaneeconomy.org) ### If someone in San Jose wants to help, what can they do now? Northern California Beagle Rescue says people interested in adopting should review available dogs on its website and complete an application before meeting a fostered beagle. The group’s site says it is an all-volunteer nonprofit and that dogs are placed through foster homes across Northern California rather than storefront adoption centers. The Cool Down reported on May 16 that the group was still seeking foster volunteers in San Jose, Fremont and Sacramento and accepting donations to cover veterinary and rehabilitation expenses. (nbcbayarea.com) As those placements continue, Northern California Beagle Rescue’s website remains the public point of contact for foster, adoption and volunteer inquiries. (thecooldown.com) (norcalbeagles.com)