Beagles bark, money talks, & the two Waynes whose work achieved the deal––Hsiung & Pacelle ––are left chained to the doghouse BLUE MOUNDS, Wisconsin––The decade-long campaign to close the Ridglan Farms beagles-for-research breeding facility begun by Direct Action Everywhere founder and Simple Heart blogger Wayne Hsiung in 2017 can now be called a victory, at […]
Alan Cooper & John Pippin, M.D., represented the range of animal advocacy
Both Alan Cooper & John Pippin, M.D. were felled by long struggles with debilitating illness It would be difficult to imagine two animal advocates with less in common than Alan Cooper and John Pippin, M.D., except that both were veterans of more than 20 years in animal advocacy on a variety of fronts, and died […]
FDA commissioner Makary, critic of animal testing, gets the Trump boot
Following the Marty Makary & Pam Bondi exits, the last animal friends in the White House may be rats in the woodwork WASHINGTON D.C.––Resigning on May 12, 2026 under direct pressure from U.S. president Donald Trump, former U.S. Food & Drug Administration commissioner Marty Makary dashed with his forced exit whatever illusions anyone may still […]
Ridglan Farms round #2: tear gas, mass busts, & no beagles rescued
About 200 protesters were met with clouds of gas & a media release barrage of excrement BLUE MOUNDS, Wisconsin––The one reliable statistic emerging from the April 18, 2026 attempted open rescue of 1,500 beagles believed to remain at the Ridglan Farms breeding complex near Blue Mounds, Wisconsin was that not one beagle was removed […]
Heads you lose: decapitation experiments in quest of a longer lifespan
Hong Kong tycoon Ricky Wong repeats a bloody gamble that has not paid off since the guillotine was invented HONG KONG––Centuries of myth, legend, and business reporting demonstrate that when an aging mad scientist has more money than brains, his thoughts often turn toward seeking immortality, typically through bizarre ritual sacrifice. Ricky Wong, founder and […]
Is lab use of “model organisms,” including mice, really down by 68%?
White Coat Waste Project has more faith in defunding than in Three Rs progress; Wayne Hsiung pushes for more “open rescue” WASHINGTON D.C.––At a glance, a newly published study directed by University of Bonn geneticist and evolutionary biologist Nicolas Gompel seems to suggest a drastic drop underway quietly in the background of biomedical research for […]
Board vote: Oregon Natl. Primate Research Center may become sanctuary
Board resolution opens negotiations with National Institutes of Health: will the money be there, & for what? HILLSBORO, Oregon–– The Oregon Health & Science University board of directors on February 9, 2026 unanimously passed a resolution to open negotiations with the National Institutes of Health [NIH] toward transitioning the largest of the seven remaining federally […]
Lab Dog: A Beagle & His Human Investigate, by Melanie D.G. Kaplan
Lab Dog: A Beagle & His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research by Melanie D.G. Kaplan Seal Press 352 pages $32.00 hardcover; $18.99 ebook. Order online: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/melanie-d-g-kaplan/lab-dog/9781541604988/?lens=seal-press Reviewed by Merritt Clifton Perhaps the best way to start a review of Lab Dog: A Beagle & His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal […]
Animal Welfare Act fines vanish––and AWI report, now back, about the loss
The Animal Welfare Institute exposed the recent lack of fines for Animal Welfare Act violations. Then the exposé disappeared, but reappeared ten days later without explanation WASHINGTON D.C.––Why did a scathing Animal Welfare Institute report detailing non-enforcement of the U.S. federal Animal Welfare Act posted to the AWI website on September 29, 2025 abruptly disappear […]
U. of Wisconsin & NIH muzzling hit by courts––& leads to org for lab techs
“Advocates for science without human or animal suffering” OAKLAND, California––“I’m overjoyed to share that we officially won the appeal in my free speech lawsuit against my alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Madison!” animal advocate Madeline Krasno, 34, posted to multiple social media on August 5, 2025. Celebrating what appears to be a landmark win four […]