Ridglan Farms beagle deal; about 1,500 dogs set for rescue
'Substantial majority' of Ridglan Farms beagles sold to rescues
A rescue deal could move about 1,500 beagles from Ridglan Farms, as new reporting sheds light ahead of a major announcement and questions remain about hundreds of dogs not included.
BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. - A major announcement is coming about the Ridglan Farms beagles and President Donald Trump's family is playing a role.
Ridglan Farms announcement
What we know:
Big Dog Ranch Rescue of Palm Beach, Florida, and the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action will hold a news conference on Thursday morning, April 30, at 11 a.m. in Madison to announce a "major new development regarding the fate of the beagles now housed at Ridglan Farms."
The announcement does not give details, but one of the board members of Big Dog Ranch Rescue is Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of President Trump. On April 18, Ms. Trump posted a video on Instagram saying the two rescue organizations had offered $1 million for release of the estimated 2,000 beagles still housed at the commercial breeding farm in the Town of Blue Mounds, Wis.
In a statement, Ridglan Farms said it agreed to sell a "substantial majority" of its dogs to rescues. The Associated Press reports that rescue groups have reached an agreement with Ridglan Farms to purchase roughly 1,500 of the more than 2,000 beagles at the facility.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Those dogs are expected to be transferred to partner organizations and facilities in other states, where they will receive medical care before being put up for adoption.
It remains unclear what will happen to the roughly 500 dogs not included in the reported deal.
FOX6 Investigators: Latest on Ridglan Farms
We hear the latest on the Ridglan Farms story from FOX6 Investigator Bryan Polcyn.
Activists' attempted raid
Dig deeper:
The Instagram video surfaced as more than a thousand animal rights activists attempted to raid the western Dane County breeding farm on April 18. Law enforcement officers from 17 agencies protected the farm using tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets, arresting more than two dozen protesters. The Dane County District Attorney charged four of them with felonies, including Wayne Hsiung, the activist who organized the so-called "open rescue" operations on March 15 and April 18.
Activists' attempt to storm Ridglan Farms ends with arrests
Hundreds of activists tried to breach the fortified perimeter of Ridglan Farms on Saturday, an attempt to remove thousands of beagles from the facility.
Organizer appears in court
Dig deeper:
Hsiung is appearing in court Wednesday afternoon for a preliminary hearing on felony burglary charges.
The news conference announcing developments in the fate of the Ridglan beagles is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at the Madison Marriott West in Middleton, Wisconsin.
FOX6 Investigators will have an exclusive interview with Lauree Simmons, Executive Director of Big Dog Ranch Rescue at 10 a.m.
Ridglan Farms, Dane County
Beagles for scientific research
The backstory:
For more than 60 years, Ridglan Farms has bred beagle puppies in the Town of Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, for use in scientific research. In 2024, former employees testified about the conditions at the farm as well as painful "cherry eye" surgeries performed routinely by non-veterinarians without pain relief.
In January 2025, a Dane County judge found probable cause that Ridglan Farms had committed crimes of animal cruelty. However, a special prosecutor appointed to investigate elected not to file charges. Instead, he agreed to a settlement that allows Ridglan Farms to avoid criminal charges if it surrenders its breeding license by July 1, 2026.
The Source: Information in this post was provided in part by previous FOX6 Investigators coverage.