Wisconsin beagle breeder to close, 475 dogs set for rescue transfer

Pressure that built for years around Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds finally ended in a negotiated shutdown, setting 475 beagles on a path from laboratory supply kennel to rescue transport. The company, long described as the nation’s second-largest beagle breeder for research, agreed to surrender its Wisconsin commercial breeder license effective July 1, 2026, after a Dane County judge appointed a special prosecutor to examine alleged violations of state animal-cruelty laws.

Big Dog Ranch Rescue, the Florida-based group leading the transfer with the Center for a Humane Economy, said 325 dogs moved out of Ridglan Farms on June 15 and 16. The remaining 150 are puppies expected to leave in mid-August, after a testing contract ends. For the dogs, the deal marks the end of a nearly 60-year pipeline that sent animals from a rural Wisconsin facility into research laboratories across the country.

The closing followed months of escalating confrontation outside the facility. In March, activists broke in and removed 22 beagles. In April, another attempted raid led to clashes with law enforcement, and some activists were met with tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets. Several now face criminal charges, including felony burglary, underscoring how sharply the fight over Ridglan Farms had widened from an animal welfare dispute into a criminal court battle.

Supporters of the rescue effort cast the transfer as a breakthrough that could spare the remaining dogs a life spent in breeding and research supply. Lauree Simmons, founder and chief executive of Big Dog Ranch Rescue, called the release of the remaining animals a historic victory. Ridglan Farms has denied abuse allegations and said it wants the years-long harassment campaign against its owners, staff and neighbors to end.

Whether the Wisconsin case signals a broader shift in U.S. research practices or stands as a single, hard-won exception is still an open question. What is clear now is that one of the country’s largest beagle breeders is shutting down, and nearly 500 dogs are moving out of the laboratory supply chain and into the rescue system one transport at a time.