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Rescue Groups Begin Moving 1,500 Ridglan Beagles for Adoption

The purchase underscores pressure on research breeding ahead of a July 1 license surrender required by a 2025 settlement.

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Animal rights activists converge at the Wisconsin State Capitol to demand that the governor and attorney general do what they can to shut down a beagle breeding and research facility, Monday, April 20, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)
Animal rights activists protest outside the Dane County Public Safety Building on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Madison, Wisconsin. Earlier in the day at least 1,000 activists were reported to have attempted to break into Ridglan Farms in nearby Blue Mounds. The facility has bred thousands of beagles and sells them to laboratories for medical and scientific testing and has operated for nearly 60 years.
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Overview

  • Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy, which announced the deal Thursday, began relocating the dogs Friday for exams, microchips, vaccinations and staged adoption.
  • Dane County Humane Society will stage 500 beagles locally with about 50 expected to be listed in the coming weeks, while the Wisconsin Humane Society plans to pick up up to 150 during the week of May 11.
  • The organizations said the price is confidential, and Big Dog Ranch Rescue’s leader put it under $1 million, with the number of dogs left at Ridglan unclear and talks continuing for the remainder.
  • Ridglan agreed in 2025 to stop selling research-bred dogs by July 1, 2026 to avoid prosecution after a special prosecutor found certain eye procedures violated state veterinary standards.
  • Ridglan says its dogs have been well cared for and cites safety concerns after recent break-ins, while activists face charges and have sued over police use of tear gas and rubber rounds during the April 18 clash.