Lauree Simmons
Founder, CEO, and President of Big Dog Ranch Rescue
Lauree Simmons founded Big Dog Ranch Rescue (BDRR) in 2008 as a refuge for her most beloved breed, the Weimaraner. But as the eff ects of that year’s recession began to take hold, and shelters exceeded their capacity, “I couldn’t leave the other dogs behind,” she says. “Not growing BDRR wasn’t an option.”
BDRR rescues dogs from animal testing facilities, puppy mills, unscrupulous breeders, overcrowded shelters, and general neglect, and rehomes them at its 34-acre ranch in Loxahatchee, which is the largest cage-free facility of its kind in the United States. In its 18 years, the organization has notched myriad wins for animal welfare. It recently coordinated the release of 2,100 beagles from the shuttered Ridgelan Farms commercial breeding and biomedical testing operation in Wisconsin.
“These dogs don’t have a way out, or a choice, or a voice,” Simmons says. “This problem
is fixable through education, sterilization, legislation, and collaboration.”
Legislatively, BDRR has worked with state and federal governments on laws to prosecute dog fighting rings, to make licensing mandatory for breeders, and to transition the product-testing industry away from animals and toward more humane and efficient solutions.
It’s all in a day’s work for Simmons and her extended team, who cannot continue to save lives without community support through donations on BDRR’s website or by adopting. “Don’t shop; adopt,” Simmons says. “Every breed you want is out there in a rescue, and every dog who leaves a shelter or a rescue opens up a spot to save another life in need.”
BIG DOG RANCH RESCUE
561-791-6465
bdrr.org
