Wyoming Ranch Saves 500+ Beagles from Research Labs Yearly

Beagles who spent their lives in research laboratories are now running free on a Wyoming farm, living alongside rescued pigs, goats, and sheep.

John Ramer runs Kindness Ranch Animal Sanctuary in Hartville, Wyoming, where he's mastered an unusual skill: convincing research facilities to hand over animals instead of euthanizing them. His secret isn't confrontation but collaboration.

"It's so easy to be against something," Ramer told Cowboy State Daily. "But then I have to figure out what I'm in favor of."

What he's for is building relationships with testing facilities and showing them there's another option. By focusing on the one thing both sides agree on, that euthanasia isn't necessary, he's created a pipeline from lab to loving home.

Denver psychologist Dr. David Groobman founded Kindness Ranch in 2007 as the first sanctuary dedicated to rehabilitating former research animals. Back then, they rescued about 30 animals per year.

Today, the ranch places over 500 dogs and cats into private homes annually. Beagles make up the majority of rescues since they're the most common research animal.

When reporters visited in early June, the team was preparing to welcome 47 more beagles. Farm supervisor Terri Brunner explained their approach simply: "We don't focus on their past. What we're focusing on now is where their futures are."

The Ripple Effect

Kindness Ranch doesn't just save individual animals. It's changing how research facilities think about their responsibilities to the creatures in their care.

By proving that rehoming is possible and practical, Ramer has created a model other sanctuaries can follow. Each placement shows laboratories there's a humane alternative to euthanasia, making future rescues easier to negotiate.

The ranch also cares for horses, sheep, goats, cows, and llamas, all rescued from testing facilities. Every animal gets a chance to experience comfort, enrichment, and eventually a permanent home.

Those who want to help can fulfill the sanctuary's animal wishlists on their website, supporting everything from food to medical care for incoming rescues.

Five hundred lives saved in a single year proves that finding common ground creates more change than drawing battle lines ever could.