04/30/2026
Until all cages are empty. ✊
1,500 beagles are being released from the Ridglan Farms testing facility in Wisconsin following months of activism. Dane County Humane Society and the Beagle Freedom Project will help place 500, and Big Dog Ranch Rescue is rehoming the other 1,000. "We wanted a structured, responsible plan that guarantees every one of these dogs is safely transitioned into the care of reputable fully vetted rescue organizations, including ourselves," said Big Dog Ranch founder Lauree Simmons.
Ridglan Farms, a commercial breeding facility that supplies beagles to animal testing labs, has been in the news for months following multiple break-in attempts this spring by activists attempting to free the dogs. The news comes one day after a court ruled the case against one of the organizers of those efforts can proceed to trial; felony burglary charges are pending against three others. Simmons credited the activists with raising awareness about the facility. "What they did was put the message out," Simmons said. "What we did, we wanted to do legally and in the best way and for the best outcome of these dogs for the future."
Ridglan Farms agreed to sell "a substantial majority of its dogs to groups that offered to purchase the animals," according to a statement from the facility. Terms of the negotiations and sale will remain confidential. After a special prosecutor was appointed in 2025 to investigate alleged violations of Wisconsin’s animal cruelty laws, Ridglan Farms reached a settlement to avoid criminal prosecution in which it will forfeit its license to sell dogs effective July 1, 2026. It's estimated that Ridglan Farms has roughly 2,000 beagles, so we hope to hear good news about the remaining dogs before that July deadline. To all the dogs being released, we wish you many years in loving homes. 14/10 for all
For more information on fostering and adopting and to support the organizations involved, head to the link below ❤
https://bfp.org
