Big Times for Beagles, Canines at Cannes, Making Brody Proud, and More!
What price freedom? The Beagles know. photo: AdobeStock
What Price Freedom?
Rescue Groups Buy 1,500 Beagles from Research Facility
In a novel arrangement, two animal rescue groups struck a deal last month to buy almost 1,500 Beagles, freeing them from Ridglan Farms, a controversial dog breeding and research outfit in Wisconsin. The facility had previously been the site of a violent clash between animal rights protesters and police who repelled them with pepper spray and tear gas.
Now Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy have entered into a confidential agreement with Ridglan Farms to purchase the pups for an undisclosed price. The dogs will be transported to Big Dog Ranch Rescue facilities in Florida and Alabama, as well as other partner agencies, to receive medical exams, microchips, and vaccinations before being assessed for adoptions.
While prohibited from discussing details of the deal, the rescue groups characterized it as a very big win. Said Big Dog Ranch founder Lauree Simmons, "I am ecstatic to have these dogs out and get them into loving homes."
Source: apnews.com
Beagles make excellent sniffer dogs. photo: AdobeStock
Merla's Big Bust:
Snoopy Corps is on the Case
Still on the Beagle beat, meet the cuter side of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Merla, a diminutive member of CBP's Beagle Brigade, made headlines recently when she sniffed out 100 contraband pork sandwiches from Thailand - all illegal.
Merla made her big bust at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, alerting her handler to the prohibited pork products before trotting back to complete her 10-hour shift. With time off for naps and water breaks, Merla's total haul for just one day included illegal beef sausages from Kenya; Serbian pork; Japanese milk products, pork sausage, and hamburgers; plant roots from Tanzania; beef sandwiches from Lebanon; and millet from India. (Okay, millet sounds benign, but what do we know? Clearly not as much as Merla).
The little tan-and-white pup is part of a long line of detector dogs trained by the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to ferret out banned food and wildlife items before they enter the U.S. Created in 1984, the Beagle Brigade began with a single dog and trainer at LAX and now boasts 120 Beagles at 21 international airports across the country. Brigade members learn their trade in a 10-13 week training program at the National Detector Dog Training Center in Georgia (not to diss Merla's achievements, but we're pretty sure a certain dog we know could also sniff out 100 pork sandwiches - no training needed).
According to CBP agriculture specialist Eric Trelstad, Beagles are the best breed for the job due to their high food drive, sharp sense of smell, gentle disposition, and compact size.
And don't forget the cute factor. Says Trelstad in an obvious understatement, "The public generally likes to see the Beagles."
Source: washingtonpost.com
La Perra’s star dog, Yuri, took the Palm Dog award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. photo: Simone D’Arcangelo
Putting the Canine in Cannes:
The 2026 Palm Dog Winners
It was an all-female sweep for dogs and directors at this year's Palm Dog ceremony, the unofficial canine spinoff event held during the annual Cannes Film Festival.
The year's top prize, the coveted Palm Dog award, went to Yuri for her role as a roguish stray in La Perra, a dramahelmed by Chilean director Dominga Sotomayor. Perra is Spanish for a female dog or bitch and, as in English, can also be used as an insult (by jerks, it should go without saying). Accepting an embossed leather collar on Yuri's behalf, Sotomayor said she wanted to create a dog role with a deep character looking for identity and freedom, one she found in the restless, willful Yuri.
Meanwhile, the Jury Prize went to Lola for her work in Clio Barnard's I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning. In the film, Lola belongs to Oli, a small-time drug dealer who's inspired to change his life after adopting her, a relationship critics described as one of the most heartwarming in any film at Cannes this year.
In fact, Lola herself is a former street dog who lived rough before winding up in a shelter where she was found and cast in the film, the canine equivalent of being discovered at a soda fountain a la the young Lana Turner. Barnard described her star's journey to Cannes as a "true rags to riches story," begging the question: will the pup's own biopic be next?
Source: hollywoodreporter.com
Buddy raised money by crowd-funding his goat enterprise and donated it to dogs in need. photo: AdobeStock
Fundraising for Brody:
Boy and His Goats Honor Dog's Memory
Cue the Kleenex.
Buddy, a six-year-old boy in rural England, lost his beloved Dalmation, Brody, to bone cancer earlier this spring. "Brody was super special to me because he would sleep with me in my bed every night," Buddy remembers. "He just looked after me, and he was the best boy in the world."
Heartbroken, young Buddy decided to raise money to buy dog beds and toys for some local animal rescues in Brody's memory - and he had a unique idea for doing so. With his dad's help, he made a painted board with holes cut out for his two goats, Bella and Bertie, to stick their heads through, alongside a bucket for donations. Then he set up an umbrella at the entrance to his family's farm with a sign reading, "Stop here! To Feed Goats for Charity!"
Their rural address near Gloucester didn't get much traffic at first, but finally a man stopped by and gave Buddy an amount equivalent to about $80 USD. “I cried; my husband cried,” said Buddy's mom. “Buddy was in disbelief because it was a huge amount of money.” But that was just the start.
After Buddy's grandmother posted about her grandson's project in a local Facebook group, a steady stream of visitors began showing up to feed Buddy's goats and donate to his cause. So many people wanted to help, in fact, that Buddy's mom eventually set up a GoFundMe page, taking in over $15,000 in a matter of days. She and her son are now researching where the need is greatest and plan to distribute the money among several animal rescue organizations.
His mom says the project has helped Buddy handle his grief. "I really miss Brody boy, and I think he would like me to help other dogs that don't have families to love them," says Buddy. "I thought I would only get 10 dog beds, but it looks like I'll get way more. I think Brody is going to be really proud of me."
Source: washingtonpost.com
Staring down the entrance to the horrific nightmare of Miranda’s Rescue. photo: Google
Humboldt County Nightmare:
Miranda's Rescue Under Investigation
We end with grim news from Humboldt County. Oakland Animal Services has confirmed that dogs transferred to Miranda's Rescue in Fortuna from Bay Area shelters were euthanized without disclosure and absent a veterinarian’s care. According to reports, the dogs were allegedly shot by Shannon Miranda, the facility's owner.
Evidence reviewed by Oakland Animal Services staff showed that at least one dog they were told had been adopted out had actually been shot in the head and buried in a mass grave on the property. Oakland authorities immediately halted the transfer of dogs to Miranda's Rescue and issued a demand for records of every dog it had transferred there since 2025. It appeared only one was still alive on the property and Oakland requested its immediate return.
"We just don't know how many more dogs he told us were adopted out are actually lying in a grave, and we're pretty upset," said Joe DeVries, director of Oakland Animal Services. "We want to make sure the sheriff can do a complete investigation. We know there's a mass grave onsite. All those dogs are microchipped."
The cities of Rio Dell, Ferndale, and Fortuna have also suspended their contracts with Miranda's Rescue following news reports. Each city had previously paid the facility to take in stray or impounded animals, leading to speculation that Miranda was profiting from the deaths of the dogs sent there.
Oakland Animal Services and other agencies are cooperating with the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office and the investigation is ongoing. Stay tuned for updates or read the longer piece on this case elsewhere in this month’s Bay Woof.
Source: times-standard.com