Ridglan Farms beagles: Dogs leave Wisconsin for New York, Virginia
Ridglan Farms beagles leave Wisconsin
Dozens of beagles, released from the Ridglan Farms breeding facility in Dane County, left Wisconsin on Saturday – headed for new beginnings after a rough start.
JANESVILLE, Wis. - Dozens of beagles, released from the Ridglan Farms breeding facility in Dane County, left Wisconsin on Saturday – headed for new beginnings after a rough start.
Beagles leave Wisconsin
What they're saying:
Thirty-two beagles arrived at Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport in Janesville. They were among the 1,500 dogs that Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy bought from Ridglan Farms this week.
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"Not only do we take these animals from bad situations, but we make sure they have homes," said August Lim with Pilots to the Rescue, a nonprofit that transports at-risk animals to rescue and adoption centers.
"They'll actually be able to touch grass and have families instead of just being used for whatever testing was happening in the facility."
The nonprofit said 16 of the beagles are being flown to a New Jersey airport, and the rest are in vans traveling on the ground. Ultimately, they will end up at shelters in New York and Virginia.
"We really care for them and make sure they get a better chance at life," said Lim.
Ridglan Farms
The backstory:
Ridglan Farms bred beagle puppies in the town of Blue Mounds for use in scientific research for more than 60 years. In 2024, former employees testified about the conditions at the farm as well as painful "cherry eye" surgeries performed routinely by non-veterinarians without pain relief.
In January 2025, a Dane County judge found probable cause that Ridglan Farms had committed crimes of animal cruelty. However, a special prosecutor appointed to investigate elected not to file charges. Instead, he agreed to a settlement that allows Ridglan Farms to avoid criminal charges if it surrenders its breeding license by July 1, 2026.
Open Record: Ridglan Farms beagles freed; 1,500 dogs bought by rescues
Hundreds of Ridglan Farms beagles born into confinement and destined for science labs are getting a second chance at life.
Deal for dogs
The backstory:
On Thursday, Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy – two large-scale nonprofits – confirmed a deal to buy 1,500 dogs from the Dane County breeding facility for an undisclosed sum of money.
Lauree Simmons, Big Rog Ranch Rescue's executive director, acknowledged 1,500 dogs is most of Ridglan Farms' inventory, but not all of it. According to the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture estimate, approximately 2,200 dogs are caged at the facility.
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Advocates said they are not giving up on the hundreds of others left behind at Ridglan Farms. For now, the rescue groups are focused on the dogs now destined for a second chance.
The Dane County Humane Society is preparing to take in about 500 of the rescued dogs, with 150 expected to go to the Wisconsin Humane Society in Milwaukee and Green Bay.
Interested in fostering, adopting?
What you can do:
Information on how to fill out an application for fostering or adoption of a beagle can be found on the Big Dog Ranch Rescue website and through the Dane County Humane Society.
The Source: FOX6 News was in Janesville on Saturday. Additional information comes from prior coverage of Ridglan Farms and activists' efforts to get beagles out of the facility.