Producers Ross Kauffman, Sarah Sarandos, Scott Veltri Board ‘They Were Good Dogs,’ Lily Blavin Exposé On Beagles Used For Research

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar winner Ross Kauffman, Sarah Sarandos, and Scott Veltri have signed on to produce They Were Good Dogs, a documentary that exposes cruel treatment of beagles “bred, caged and tested on in the name of research for pharmaceuticals, pesticides, industrial chemicals and household products.”

The film now in post-production marks the directorial debut of Lily Blavin, founder of Lightning Strikes Productions. The documentary is the result of six years of investigation into practices that kill an estimated 70,000 beagles a year.

“They Were Good Dogs traces a sprawling system of breeders, laboratories, and institutions while following the people who risked their livelihoods – and in some cases their freedom – to document what was happening inside,” according to a release. “The film utilizes exclusive undercover footage with whistleblower accounts, investigative reporting, and unprecedented access to activists working to shut down the industry.”

Blavin (Dead Man’s Wire, Company) is producing through her Lightning Strikes Productions banner, alongside Veltri (The Ascent; MoviePass, MovieCrash), Kauffman (Born Into Brothels, Tigerland), Academy Award nominee Robin Honan (Freeheld), and Sarah Sarandos (Happy Gilmore 2, Uncut Gems). Executive producers include Geralyn White Dreyfous (The Invisible War, The Hunting Ground), Siena Oberman (Dead Man’s Wire, Company), and Lucy Guo.

“I first learned about the use of beagles in laboratories 13 years ago, and I haven’t been able to look away since,” Blavin said in a statement. “Four of them live in my house. Each of them spent their entire life in a cage and had to learn what grass was for the first time. They had never been outdoors to see the sky. Films like The Cove and Blackfish proved that a documentary can make issues like this impossible to ignore. I want people to see this hidden world for themselves and decide what they think about it.”

As part of the documentary project, Blavin traveled to Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, a facility that bred beagles for biomedical research. The filmmaker captured a wild scene as activists descended onto the property attempting to rescue the dogs, triggering a standoff that “escalated into arrests and a volatile clash with law enforcement and private security.”

Blavin initiated a rescue deal that freed all 2,100 beagles from Ridglan Farms, according to the release. “But Ridglan is one facility among many, and the film includes testimony from a whistleblower inside a major laboratory that has never been infiltrated or exposed.”

Producer Scott Veltri commented, “Most people have no idea that dogs are used in animal testing! That’s the whole problem, and it’s why this film needs to exist. It’s been a multi-year journey for us and Lily has been a fearless force at the helm, never giving up in her fight for these innocent animals.”

Producer Sarah Sarandos added, “After witnessing the years Lily has devoted to documenting the truth of laboratory beagle testing, producing this film became less of a choice and more of a responsibility. I am so incredibly honored to bring her ambitious work, as well as aid in shining a spotlight on these harsh realities, to the widest audience possible.”