BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler has stepped up as spokesperson for a landmark animal welfare campaign: the rescue of 1,500 beagles from Ridglan Farms, a research-breeding facility in Wisconsin. The operation is being described as one of the largest transitions of dogs from a laboratory setting to rescue organizations in U.S. history.
Butler is representing the Center For A Humane Economy in the effort, which coordinated alongside the Beagle Freedom Project, Dane County Humane Society, and multiple Wisconsin-based rescue groups. "I've loved animals my entire life, and seeing these dogs finally get a chance at freedom and loving homes is deeply moving," he said. "This rescue represents compassion in action and a growing recognition that we can pursue better science without animal suffering."
The rescued beagles are currently receiving medical care, vaccinations, behavioral assessments, and rehabilitation before being placed in homes across the country.
Singer Debbie Gibson also joined the campaign, calling the rescue "a shift in consciousness" for these animals.
The operation aligns with an ongoing push in Congress to restrict federal funding for invasive animal testing. The FDA Modernization Act 3.0 aims to advance non-animal research methods in pharmaceutical development.
Beyond his standing as one of the founding fathers of heavy metal — and the man whose bass lines helped define the BLACK SABBATH sound from the very beginning — Butler has long been outspoken on animal rights, adding another dimension to one of metal's most respected figures.