After years of pressure from animal advocates — along with two recent “open rescue” actions that drew national attention — a controversial large-scale dog breeding and research facility known for supplying thousands of beagles for laboratory experiments each year has agreed to sell most of its dogs, according to the Associated Press.
Under the agreement, Big Dog Ranch Rescue and Center for a Humane Economy are set to acquire 1,500 of the approximately 2,000 beagles currently housed at Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. It is not yet clear what will happen to the remaining dogs, but conversations about their future are ongoing.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue is working to place 1,000 of the rescued beagles into adoptive homes and has reportedly already received more than 700 applications from prospective guardians, while the Center for a Humane Economy plans to take in the remaining dogs.
Last year, Ridglan Farms came under investigation by a court-appointed special prosecutor and later agreed to stop breeding beagles for sale to research facilities as part of a settlement that allowed the operation to avoid prosecution. Some of the disturbing allegations were that dogs had their eye glands and vocal cords severed without anesthesia, were confined in tiny cages filled with feces, and were kept in isolation.
The facility has until July 1, 2026, to place its remaining dogs, after which its state breeding license will be revoked.
The infamous facility was also the target of two activist-led rescue efforts this year. During the first, in March, advocates were able to remove 22 beagles and place them into loving homes. But when a larger group returned in April hoping to rescue the remaining dogs, they were reportedly met with a substantial law enforcement response that included rubber bullets, pepper spray, tear gas, and less-lethal grenades.
Lady Freethinker is grateful to all the activists who have worked — and continue to work — to free these innocent beagles and secure loving homes for them. We are hopeful that every remaining dog will soon have the chance to experience the safety, comfort, and compassion they have always deserved — and that this milestone will help accelerate the transition away from animal testing altogether.
