Meet Jean Unger, a longtime Kindness Ranch volunteer and adopter whose life has been transformed by former research beagles. Jean shares how adopting her first lab beagle, Henry, opened her eyes to the hidden world of animals used in research and set her on a path of deep involvement with Kindness Ranch.

She describes working hands‑on with hundreds of dogs at the sanctuary, helping match them with the right homes, and the emotional push‑and‑pull of falling in love with dogs she doesn’t ultimately adopt. Jean talks about her current dogs, including Cinnamon, and the realities of setbacks, fear, and decompression once a dog leaves the lab.

Supported by a strong community—including Lori Cohen and Chelsey Marino—Jean explains how these dogs have taught her patience, resilience, and purpose, and why she believes she’s been changed more by them than they have been by her.

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Hosts John Ramer (Kindness Ranch), Lori Cohen (The Beagle Alliance), and Chelsey Marino (Keeper & Kin) talk with Christy Cooke, a teacher and “foster fail” adopter of Casey (formerly Fiat), a former research beagle.

Christy shares how her family, intending only to foster, instantly fell in love when Casey walked out of the kennel and into her daughter’s arms. She describes Casey as unusually “normal” for a former research dog—deeply trusting, social with strangers, and bonded to her canine “big brother” Finnegan, who helps her feel safe on walks. Over time, Casey has blossomed: celebrating her first Christmas, learning to play with toys, and luxuriating in long, peaceful sleeps in bed.

Christy explains how knowing Casey’s past has transformed her views on animal testing and consumer choices, and how she now actively educates her students and the public about research beagles. The hosts then broaden the conversation to legislation, systemic change, and the supports needed so former research dogs and adopters can succeed.

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Dogs Beyond the Lab’s first episode introduces John Ramer (Kindness Ranch, Wyoming), Lori Cohen (The Beagle Alliance, Manitoba), and Chelsey Marino (Keeper and Kin, North Carolina), and the unique collaboration among their organizations. They recount how a viral article about the 4,000 Envigo beagles and Lori’s supportive voicemail led to their partnership and later town halls and joint rescue efforts.

The conversation explores the emotional toll of public backlash, the complexity of animal research, and their shared decision to take a non-adversarial, collaborative approach with laboratories to secure long‑term, systemic change while still getting individual dogs out now. Chelsey explains how her work evolved from general dog behavior to founding Keeper and Kin, focused exclusively on former research dogs and their unique behavioral needs.

They frame the podcast as a place to share honest, sometimes messy but ultimately hopeful *uccess stories of former research dogs and the humans whose lives they transform.

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This is Dogs Beyond The Lab.

This show explores what happens after rescue — when dogs raised in research facilities encounter freedom, trust, and everyday life for the very first time.

Featuring insights from John Ramer, Lori Cohen, and Chelsey Marino.

John Ramer is the Executive Director of Kindness Ranch, one of the leading sanctuaries in North America dedicated to former research animals. Working in animal rescue since 1999, he has devoted his career to helping animals transition from laboratories into safe, loving homes. John is widely respected for building compassionate partnerships that create alternatives to euthanasia for retired research animals.

Lori Cohen is the Founder and Executive Director of The Beagle Alliance, a Canadian charity focused on rescuing and rehoming former research beagles. Through advocacy, education, and hands-on rescue work, she has helped bring national attention to animal testing in Canada while creating pathways for dogs to move from laboratories into loving homes. Lori’s work has helped place dozens of former research dogs with foster and adoptive families across North America.

Chelsey Marino is a canine Behavior Specialist and the founder of Command Canine, where she specializes in fear, anxiety, and trauma rehabilitation. She is also the creator of The Keeper & Kin Project, North America’s only training and rehabilitation program designed specifically for former research dogs. Chelsey works closely with rescues, sanctuaries, and adopters across Canada and the United States to help severely traumatized dogs adjust to life beyond the laboratory.

They will introduce you to a compassionate series about rehabilitation, patience, and the profound emotional connection between humans and dogs. While rooted in the experiences of former research beagles, the show ultimately speaks to anyone who has loved a dog through life’s challenges — fear, illness, aging, uncertainty, and growth.

Dogs Beyond the Lab is the story about second chances, healing, and the realization that sometimes the animals we believe we are saving are the very ones who change us most.

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