Animal rescue groups have purchased more than 1,500 beagles from Ridglan Farms, a massive Wisconsin-based facility that breeds the dogs for scientific research.
They will be adopted out through animal welfare organizations, after the nonprofits Big Dog Ranch Rescue and The Center for a Humane Economy struck a deal with the facility.
The deal does not include every dog left at Ridglan Farms.
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Wayne Pacelle, president of the Center for a Humane Economy, said the rescue organizations do not know how many dogs remain, but they hope to buy the rest of the animals in coming months.
“We are very excited to continue our discussions with Ridglan and to find an exit ramp for the remaining dogs,” he said.
Individuals carry a dog out of Ridglan Farms on March 15, 2026 in Blue Mounds, Wis. Photo courtesy of the Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs
Ridglan Farms has faced multiple raids following animal abuse allegations
Ridglan Farms is about half an hour southwest of Madison in the village of Blue Mounds. It was the subject of a 2017 break-in by animal rights activists who posted videos online, alleging animal abuse at the facility.
Last year, a Dane County judge appointed a special prosecutor to look into related allegations after concluding there was probable cause to show that Ridglan Farms had violated Wisconsin’s animal cruelty laws.
That investigation ended with a settlement, which allowed Ridglan Farms to avoid prosecution but required the facility to give up its state-level breeders’ license by July 1, 2026.
But many animal rights activists said that wasn’t enough.
In March, a group of activists broke into Ridglan Farms and took 22 beagles, which they later placed for adoption.
On April 18, activists tried again to raid the facility, but were met with tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets from law enforcement. A recently-filed lawsuit accuses the Dane County Sheriff’s Office of excessive force during that incident. The sheriff has said that activists acted violently, and that many ignored warnings not to trespass on private property.
Multiple people now face burglary charges in connection with the Ridglan Farms break-in earlier this spring. That includes activist leader Wayne Hsiung, who appeared in court Wednesday. During that hearing, a Dane County court commissioner concluded there was probable cause to support a felony charge against Hsiung and agreed to bind the case over for trial.
In statements, Ridglan farms has referred to the raids as an “assault” from a “violent mob.” The facility has said its animals are “happy, healthy and socially housed in comfortable, well-cared for facilities.”
Hundreds of activists gather outside of Ridglan Farms on April 18, 2026 in Blue Mounds, Wis. Activists were met with tear gas, which can be seen in the photo. Photo courtesy of the Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs
Dogs to be adopted nationwide
Several hundred of the Ridglan Farms dogs are expected to be adopted in Wisconsin, while more than 1,000 other dogs will be sent to homes in other states, according to a news release from Big Dog Ranch Rescue and The Center for a Humane Economy.
The Dane County Humane Society is among the groups that will be caring for some of the animals until they can be adopted. That includes providing 500 of the beagles with vaccines and other medical care. About 50 of those dogs will be put up for adoption through the humane society in coming weeks, a humane society official said.
Lauree Simmons, the president Big Dog Ranch Rescue, said the dogs will be sent to “reputable, fully vetted rescue organizations,” where they’ll receive care, including spaying and neutering.
Simmons said information about adopting the beagles will be available through Big Dog Ranch Rescue, but cautioned that the animals “won’t be ready right away.”
“These dogs are going to need time,” she said. “They will need patience. They will need support as they adjust to environments they have never experienced. They will learn kindness and what it means to be loved.”
Rebekah Robinson, the president of Dane4Dogs, center left, speaks at a protest at the Wisconsin State Capitol demanding 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. Scott Bauer/AP Photo
Earlier this month, Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law and a board member at Big Dog Ranch Rescue, posted a video on Instagram in which she said Ridglan Farms had turned down a million-dollar deal that would have allowed the rescue groups to buy the beagles.
Simmons told reporters Thursday she could not legally disclose how much the two groups paid for the dogs, but said it was “well under” $1 million.
“Money was the only way we could guarantee the safe future of these dogs,” Simmons said. “We did not want them to be sold off into other testing labs.”
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