Trending Now - Rock Icons Support Initiative to Rehome Beagles
WHO:
ABC News - Pop star Debbie Gibson and Terry “Geezer” Butler, co-founder of Black Sabbath, are involved in the initiative to find new homes for beagles.
ABC News - The Dane County Humane Society is working to find new homes for the beagles.
ABC News - Wayne Pacelle is the president of the Center for a Humane Economy.
ABC News - Amy Good is the director of marketing at the Dane County Humane Society.
WHAT:
ABC News - Approximately 1,500 beagles were purchased from Ridglan Farms for rehoming.
ABC News - The first 1,000 dogs were removed earlier this month and are in temporary shelters.
ABC News - The Dane County Humane Society began receiving the remaining 500 dogs this week.
ABC News - More than 1,300 people have expressed interest in adopting the dogs.
ABC News - Gibson stated, “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.”
ABC News - Butler said, “They’ve never let me down. They’re always loving.”
WHERE:
ABC News - The beagles were purchased from Ridglan Farms located outside of Madison, Wisconsin.
ABC News - The Dane County Humane Society is located in Madison, Wisconsin.
WHEN:
ABC News - Ridglan Farms agreed to give up its state breeding license as of July 1 as part of a deal to avoid prosecution on felony animal mistreatment charges.
ABC News - The deal to buy the dogs was announced last month.
WHY:
ABC News - The initiative aims to spare dogs from medical experiments and find them new homes.
ABC News - The purchase of the dogs was made by the Center for a Humane Economy and Big Dog Ranch Rescue, both of which oppose using animals in research.
HOW:
ABC News - The beagles were transported from Ridglan Farms to the humane society for health checks, vaccinations, and other care.
ABC News - Numerous groups are working to transfer the 1,500 dogs to facilities for veterinary care and preparation for adoption.
(UPDATED May 13, 2026 15:55 UTC)
Pop star Debbie Gibson and Black Sabbath co-founder Terry “Geezer” Butler are joining efforts with the Dane County Humane Society to find new homes for approximately 1,500 beagles purchased from Ridglan Farms, which is located outside of Madison, Wisconsin. The first 1,000 dogs were removed earlier this month and are currently in temporary shelters, while the remaining 500 dogs began arriving this week, with over 1,300 people already expressing interest in adopting them. Gibson shared her emotional experience, stating, “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,” as the initiative aims to spare these dogs from medical experiments and provide them with loving homes.