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Dogs: Beyond the Lab Podcast

@dogsbeyondthelab

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Exploring the stories of second starts, where research dogs and humans begin again together and how all of our dogs change our lives. 🖤🐾

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Veterinarian and animal advocate Dr. Crystal Heath joins a candid conversation about the Ridglan beagles, the divisions within animal advocacy, and the responsibility that comes with rescue.

The conversation also confronts difficult questions about protest tactics, competing accounts of what secured the dogs’ release, and whether a movement can hold its own leaders accountable. Dr. Heath challenges the idea that working with people inside research facilities means compromising your commitment to animals, and shares her vision for more humane veterinary training and the next generation of advocates.

An honest, sometimes uncomfortable discussion about looking beyond the headlines and keeping the dogs’ long-term wellbeing at the heart of the work.

#animalwelfare #rescuebeagle #ridglanfarms #ridglanbeagles #animaladvocacy by @dogsbeyondthelab

Cherisse recounts how a planned short-term foster named Odie arrived in Manitoba in September 2023 profoundly fearful, avoiding people, and struggling to settle.

Cherisse describes his early challenges, including serious conflicts with her dog Daisy, and the added strain of supporting her partner, James, as he navigated his own PTSD.

The conversation explores how dogs and people with trauma can support one another, and how setbacks coexist with meaningful gains. Cherisse encourages prospective adopters and fosters to use rescue organizations’ resources instead of facing difficult behaviors alone.

For her, the joy of watching Odie play, explore, and simply be a dog makes the ongoing work worthwhile and rewarding.
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#adoptionstories #animalwelfare #rescuebeagle #animaltesting #labtolove by @dogsbeyondthelab

How do we balance the need for effective medical treatments with the ethical responsibility we have to the animals involved?

Brandon shares his perspective as both a scientist, father, and an animal lover- explaining why he believes animal testing is sometimes still necessary, even when the decisions weigh heavily on him. As a father to a 6 year old child and a devoted dog owner, he understands the emotional complexity of both sides.

We talk about the difficult decisions researchers face, the responsibility that comes with using animals in science, and why these conversations deserve more than simple answers.

Link in bio to listen!
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#animalwelfare #animaltesting #animaladvocacy #beaglesofinstagram by @dogsbeyondthelab

This week, we go straight to the source.

Malaria researcher Brandon Wilder joins us for a conversation and the questions most people can only argue about from opposite sides.

When is animal research justified?
Who gets to decide whether an experiment is necessary?
What happens to the animals during the research, and what responsibility exists after the study ends?
How do animal researchers feel deep down?

We ask the questions directly. Brandon answers them.
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#animaltestingsurvivor #animalwelfare #animaltesting #animaladvocacy #beaglesofinstagram by @dogsbeyondthelab

On this heartfelt episode of Dogs Beyond you'll hear how Presley, a 6 year old former research beagle came into Joe's Los Angeles home. Joe taught him stairs, leashes and how to eat slowly, and learned his triggers — metal on metal, the need to back up against something to relieve himself.

Presley was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma in March 2024 and passed away that November, after 20 weeks of treatment at Penn Vet and Mount Laurel Animal Hospital in New Jersey, where Joe brought him to be closer to family.

Joe still calls him "the boy who brought me home."

Then, like serendipity, came Carol — Presley's biological relative. Confident where Presley was timid, vocal where he was silent, she's what Joe calls his redemption arc.

Hear the story of two dogs, bound together by blood and their love for the same person.

Link in bio#
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#formerlabbeagle #adoptionstories #animaltestingsurvivor #labtolove beaglesofinstagram by @dogsbeyondthelab

John Ramer, Chelsey Marino, and Lori Cohen talk with Alice and Dima about Kane, a senior lemon beagle rescued from Kindness Ranch Animal Sanctuary.

Alice grew up with beagles and had always wanted to adopt a former research dog, while Dima had never lived with a pet before Kane came along. After meeting through a senior adoption promotion, Kane joined their family — and quickly made it clear that he had a lot to learn...

Alice and Dima share an honest look at adopting a former research beagle, including potty training, anxiety, socialization, trauma recovery, and the small milestones that can mean everything. Over time, Kane's personality began to emerge, revealing a quirky, affectionate dog with his own routines and a growing sense of confidence.

In This Episode

🟡 What to expect when adopting a former research dog

🟡 The challenges of potty training and socializing a senior research beagle

🟡 How to help an anxious rescue beagle adjust to home life

🟡 Understanding trauma and nervous-system recovery in rescued research animals

🟡 The small breakthroughs that mark progress

If you're researching how to adopt a former research beagle, wondering what to expect when adopting a research dog, or looking for ways to help an anxious rescue beagle settle into home life, Kane's story offers a heartfelt, practical, and often funny look at the journey.
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#ResearchAnimalAdoption #RescueBeagle
#FormerResearchDog #animalwelfare #animaltestingsurvivor by @dogsbeyondthelab

Rob Wadd joins Dogs Beyond the Lab to share the profound journey of Gabe, a former research beagle. Rob recounts how he and his wife Sharon moved from life with Badger, their confident, well-adjusted beagle, to adopting Gabe, a deeply traumatized former research dog.

With Badger as a mentor and Sharon as his anchor, Gabe slowly learned safety, routine, and trust, from four-hour backyard sit-ins to finally mastering the dog door and cuddling on the couch, after years of keeping his distance from Rob.

When Badger passed, Kindness Ranch connected them with Kai, the tiger-striped beagle they’d originally hoped to adopt, completing a poignant full-circle story. Rob reflects on what it really takes to adopt a former research dog, when he’d advise someone not to, and how Gabe’s resilience has humbled and changed him, turning him into a thoughtful advocate for both dogs and the humans who care for them.
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#formerlabbeagle#adoptionstories#animaltestingsurvivor #rescuebeagle #beaglesofinstagram by @dogsbeyondthelab

Dogs Beyond the Lab welcomes good friend, journalist and author Melanie Kaplan to discuss her book Lab Dog, which chronicles her journey with Hammy, a former research beagle. Kaplan explains how adopting Hammy led her to investigate the vast and largely hidden industry of breeding dogs for laboratory research - a scale that stunned her as she uncovered industrial facilities housing tens of thousands of animals.

The conversation moves from Hammy's behavior and the emotional challenges of adopting a lab beagle to the systemic issues within animal research, including inconsistent enforcement of welfare laws and the slow adoption of non-animal testing methods.

They discuss:

* The personal experience of Hammy’s life and continuing to share his story through book tours and public speaking

* Balancing the heartbreak of animal research with readability and emotional engagement in the book

* The industrial scale of beagle breeding facilities and how three major operations dwindled to one during Kaplan's reporting

* Why legislation and enforcement are the most effective pathways to change in the research industry

* How non-animal methods are advancing rapidly but face barriers to widespread adoption

This episode explores the intersection of personal grief, investigative journalism, and advocacy, offering insight for anyone seeking to understand the realities of animal research and the dogs who emerge from it.
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#formerlabbeagle #adoptionstories #animaltestingsurvivor #rescuebeagle #animalwelfare by @dogsbeyondthelab

Luke tells the story behind Snoop's now-famous "whisper bark"; the soft, raspy little howl that has captured the hearts of thousands on social media.

Luke feels like Snoop was likely debarked while in research, leaving him with a voice that can never fully return.

It's a powerful reminder how healing doesn't erase their story, it simply gives them the chance to write a new chapter. by @dogsbeyondthelab

Luke Toennies joins the show to share one of the most bittersweet moments of life with a former research beagle: watching Snoop play for the very first time.

Luke reflects on the complicated emotions that come with watching him experience the simple things so many dogs take for granted. It's a conversation about healing, resilience, and the quiet weight of realizing just how much was missing before they came home.

Episode out now. Link in bio. by @dogsbeyondthelab

David shares a story that brings us all to tears.

While teaching at a music festival, the band performed Our Cast Aways by Julie Giroux, and first three pages of the score were filled with photographs of adopted dogs.   Before he knew it, he was having to stand in front of an entire band trying to explain why he suddenly couldn't hold himself together.

We discuss the unexpected ways certain moments can bring everything to the surface, and why that day became the moment David realized just how deeply he loved one little beagle.
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#formerlabbeagle #dogadoption #beaglesofinstagram #labtolove #animalwelfare by @dogsbeyondthelab

Ginny shares the story of meeting Ceile for the first time at Kindness Ranch.

While the other dogs ran over to greet them, one little beagle didn't. She ran around in circles, keeping her distance. Ginny remembers looking at her and saying, "That's her."

We discuss why that moment stayed with her, and how she knew that if she had chosen a different, probably easier beagle, she would have spent the rest of her life wondering what had happened to that little beagle who is now Ceile. by @dogsbeyondthelab