Ridglan Farms beagles: Rescue groups pay for release of 1,500 dogs
Rescue groups pay for release of 1,500 dogs
Two organizations, including a Florida-based dog rescue with ties to the Trump family, paid a "confidential" sum to Ridglan Farms for the release of 1,500 beagles from the breeding facility.
DANE COUNTY, Wis. - Two organizations, including a Florida-based dog rescue with ties to the Trump family, paid a "confidential" sum to Ridglan Farms for the release of 1,500 beagles.
Deal for dogs
What they're saying:
After years of activism, investigations, break-ins and high-stakes confrontations, animal welfare advocates finally found a formula that worked.
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On Thursday, Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy – two large-scale nonprofits – confirmed the deal to buy the dogs from Ridglan Farms. Some critics are still uneasy about how they pulled it off.
"We saw a narrow window where beagles were at risk, and we seized on that moment to get them out of there," said Wayne Pacelle, the Center for a Humane Economy's CEO and a longtime critic of Ridglan Farms.
Ridglan Farms is due to surrender its breeding license by July 1, but it's still allowed to sell dogs until then.
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"We didn't want to see them get sold, put in the wrong hands into other testing labs," said Lauree Simmons, Big Dog Ranch Rescue's executive director. The organization's board includes Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law.
"Lara is an incredible animal advocate, has been for a very, very long time," Simmons added.
Simmons would not disclose how much money was given to Ridglan Farms in exchange for the beagles' release. But Lara Trump posted an Instagram video earlier this month in which she said the rescue organizations had offered $1 million.
For more than 60 years, Ridglan Farms has bred beagle puppies in the town of Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, for use in scientific research. 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.
What about the rest?
Dig deeper:
Simmons 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, there are approximately 2,200 dogs caged at the facility. So what happens to the other 700?
Ridglan Farms, Dane County
"We are engaging in continuing discussions with Ridglan," said Pacelle.
For now, the rescue groups are focused on the dogs now destined for a second chance.
"These dogs are going to need time. They will need patience. They will need support as they adjust to environments they've never experienced before," said Simmons.
When will beagles be removed?
What's next:
Transport trucks are expected to arrive at the Dane County breeding facility on Friday afternoon, May 1. That will begin a frenetic 10-day effort to transport, medically screen and distribute beagles across the country.
While the 1,500 beagles head for loving homes, advocates said they are not giving up on the hundreds of others left behind at Ridglan Farms.
The Dane County Humane Society will handle 500 of those dogs.
On Thursday, the Wisconsin Humane Society said it will pick up 150 Ridglan Farms beagles in the coming days. The organization said the dogs will be available for adoption once they are medically and behaviorally cleared.
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.
Beagles for scientific research
The Timeline:
So, how did we get here?
- 2017: Animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere breaks into Ridglan Farms, records video inside the facility and removes three beagles.
- August 2021: The Dane County District Attorney files burglary and theft charges against activist Wayne Hsiung and two others.
- March 2024: Just before trial, Ridglan Farms asks for the charges to be dropped, citing reported death threats.
- Spring 2024: Hsiung and the group Dane4Dogs petition the court to appoint a special prosecutor to pursue criminal charges against Ridglan Farms.
- Fall 2024: Former employees testify at a public hearing about conditions at the facility.
- January 2025: A Dane County judge finds probable cause that Ridglan Farms committed animal cruelty violations.
- April 2025: Ridglan Farms files a lawsuit against Dane4Dogs, accusing the group of extortion.
- September 2025: The state Veterinary Examining Board suspends Ridglan Farms’ lead veterinarian.
- October 2025: Ridglan Farms agrees to surrender its breeding license by July 2026 to avoid criminal charges.
- March 15, 2026: Activists enter the facility again and remove more than 20 beagles.
- April 18, 2026: Hundreds of protesters attempt to breach the facility but are met by a large law enforcement response.
Official statements
What they're saying:
FOX6 Investigators received the following statements on the release of dogs from Ridglan Farms.
Ridglan Farms:
"The dogs at Ridglan Farms are happy, healthy and well cared for. Publicly available USDA documentation shows this has been the case for many years. As the dogs sold this week leave our veterinary research facility, we hope they will continue to live happy lives in their new adopted homes.
"Moving forward, Ridglan Farms is in the midst of finalizing arrangements for the remaining dogs. However, because our facility has repeatedly been the site of mass attacks and break-ins by extremists, with the latest occurring less than two-weeks ago, we are unable to share updated animal numbers to maintain the safety of our staff and animals."
PETA:
"PETA is celebrating the great news that nearly 1,500 beagles will never be sold to laboratories to be caged, injected, infected, cut up, and killed, and we’re grateful to Big Dog Ranch Rescue and Center for a Humane Economy, and all the activists and organizations, for their work to get these dogs into loving homes. We will continue to press Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and federal officials to take action to release the remaining dogs.
"PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to experiment on"—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram."
Watch FOX6 Investigators extras
Wisconsin Live Desk
Ridglan Farms beagles: Update from FOX6 Investigators
FOX6 Investigator Bryan Polcyn joined Wisconsin Live Desk on Thursday afternoon, April 30, to provide a detailed update on the fate of the Ridglan Farms beagles.
Exclusive interviews
FOX6 Investigators have exclusive interview with Lauree Simmons
FOX6 Investigators have an exclusive interview with Lauree Simmons, Executive Director of Big Dog Ranch Rescue.
Exclusive interview with Wayne Pacelle
FOX6 Investigators have an exclusive interview with Wayne Pacelle, president of the Center for a Humane Economy.
Dane County Humane Society
Ridglan Farms beagles: Humane Society gets involved
We learned how humane societies are getting involved in the release of the Ridglan Farms beagles. Amy Good spoke with FOX6's Mary Stoker Smith on Wisconsin Live Desk on Thursday, April 30.
Full news conference
Editor's note: This story was updated with new information, quotes and statements as developments came Thursday.
The Source: FOX6 Investigators was in Dane County for Thursday's updates and referenced prior coverage related to the Ridglan Farms beagles.