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About 1,500 beagles bred for scientific experimentation are being removed from Ridglan Farms, a facility in Wisconsin that has been breeding dogs for laboratories for more than 60 years. The removal, which began this weekend, is the result of an agreement between rescue organizations and the company, amid protests, investigations into abuse, and a legal commitment that will require the company to cease operations by July 2026.

The operation is being led by Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy, which purchased the animals for an undisclosed sum. In total, Ridglan housed nearly 2,000 dogs, so the agreement covers most, though not all, of them. The transfer, which began on May 2, is being carried out in stages: about 300 beagles left on the first day, and the rest will be distributed to shelters across the country over an estimated period of at least 10 days.

Ridglan Farms had been under pressure for years from activists and former employees who denounced the conditions inside the facility. In 2025, a judge ruled that there was probable cause for animal cruelty, although no criminal charges were filed. Instead, the company reached a settlement to avoid trial: it would surrender its breeding license and shut down operations in 2026. It was also determined that the company performed eye procedures that violated veterinary standards, a claim the company has denied.

Tensions escalated in April, when nearly 1,000 activists attempted to enter the facility to free the dogs. Police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray. At least 29 people were arrested, and several face serious charges. Ridglan described the protesters as a “violent mob” that launched “an assault on a federally licensed research facility,” while the activists have filed a federal lawsuit alleging excessive use of force.

Although the organizations now managing the rescue did not participate in those actions, they acknowledge their impact. “What they did was put the message out,” Lauree Simmons, founder of Big Dog Ranch Rescue, told the Associated Press. Their approach, she explained, was different: “What we did, we wanted to do legally and in the best way and for the best outcome of these dogs for the future.”

The beagles’ release is just the beginning of a long process. Many of the animals spent their entire lives inside the facility, so they are not prepared for a home environment. “These dogs need to learn to walk on a leash,” Simmons explained. “They need to learn to live in a home environment, be housebroken, spayed and neutered.”

The dogs are being sent to various locations across the country. Some have already arrived at facilities in Florida, while others will be distributed to shelters in the Midwest, including organizations such as the Animal Rescue League of Iowa. There, they will receive medical care, vaccinations, spaying or neutering, and socialization training before being made available for adoption.

One of the organizations involved reported more than 700 adoption requests in the first few days. However, rescue officials warn that the process will take time: not all the dogs are ready to join a home, and some will need weeks or months to adjust.

The case has also reignited the debate over the use of animals in research. Beagles are one of the most commonly used breeds in laboratories due to their size and temperament. “Beagles are just so trusting and docile and calm and forgiving, so they are the most chosen dogs for animal testing,” Simmons explained to The Guardian. For her, that very docility is at the heart of the problem: “And so we’re going to take one of the sweetest, kindest, most trusting breeds and abuse them? This is wrong. This needs to stop.”

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