Building Community

Ridglan Farms: The Path Toward Accountability and Change

The Beagle Alliance welcomes Amy Van Aartsen of The Marty Project and Lindsey Soffes of Rise for Animals for a timely update on Ridglan Farms, the U.S.’ second-largest breeder of dogs for use in research.

A firsthand listen on how The Marty Project and Rise for Animals have teamed up to pursue justice for these dogs and how their organizations have employed collaboration as a powerful tool leveraging combined expertise in science, law, and advocacy to make a difference for animals.

Amy Van Aartsen

Amy Van Aartsen is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of The Marty Project, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing public policy that replaces the use of dogs in human product safety testing with evidence-based scientific alternatives. Drawing on her expertise as a scientist specializing in non-animal methods (NAMs) and her background in public health, Amy focuses on creating systems-level change by working collaboratively with policymakers, scientists, and biotechnology companies to elevate and expediate the full implementation of NAMs.

Living just minutes from Ridglan Farms, Amy and her beagle Maggie have been uniquely positioned to press for accountability and justice on behalf of the thousands of dogs confined there. In partnership with Rise for Animals, The Marty Project has spotlighted the urgent need for systemic reform by exposing the injustices endured by the dogs at Ridglan Farms.

Lindsey Soffes

Lindsey Soffes leads programs at Rise for Animals, a national animal rights organization dedicated to ending animal experimentation. With a background in law and nonprofit advocacy, her work focuses on investigating the hidden realities of the animal research industry and driving exposure, advocacy, and public mobilization to end it.

Lindsey has led Rise’s efforts to help confront and hold accountable Ridglan Farms. In frequent collaboration with The Marty Project, Rise has filed multiple state and federal complaints, supported the passage of a county resolution calling for state action, and brought attention to the absence of meaningful federal oversight of the animal research industry—using Ridglan as a case study of the legal, regulatory, and ethical failures that define the system.

Website: The Marty Project

Website: Rise for Animals