JANESVILLE, Wis. - Dozens of beagles, released from Ridglan Farms earlier this week, will depart from Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport to out-of-state animal rescues on Saturday, May 2.
Beagles freed
The backstory:
On Friday, FOX6 Investigators got a first look at some of the newly-freed beagles in Marshall, Wisconsin. It was an emotional time for activists as the dogs touched grass for the first time and explored a world they had never before experienced.
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The beagles were screened by veterinarians, received vaccinations and were given Benadryl, to ensure they don't have reactions to those vaccinations.
Ridglan Farms
The backstory:
For more than 60 years, Ridglan Farms bred beagle puppies in the town of Blue Mounds 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.
Open Record: Ridglan Farms beagles freed; 1,500 dogs bought by rescues
Hundreds of Ridglan Farms beagles born into confinement and destined for science labs are getting a second chance at life.
Deal for dogs
The backstory:
On Thursday, Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy – two large-scale nonprofits – confirmed a deal to buy 1,500 dogs from the Dane County breeding facility for an undisclosed sum of money.
Lauree Simmons, Big Rog Ranch Rescue's executive director, acknowledged 1,500 dogs is most of Ridglan Farms' inventory, but not all of it. According to the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture estimate, approximately 2,200 dogs are caged at the facility.
Advocates said they are not giving up on the hundreds of others left behind at Ridglan Farms. For now, the rescue groups are focused on the dogs now destined for a second chance.
The Dane County Humane Society is preparing to take in about 500 of the rescued dogs, with 150 expected to go to the Wisconsin Humane Society in Milwaukee.
Interested in fostering, adopting?
What you can do:
Information on how to fill out an application for fostering or adoption of a beagle can be found on the Big Dog Ranch Rescue website and through the Dane County Humane Society.
The Source: FOX6 News was in Janesville on Saturday. Additional information comes from prior coverage of Ridglan Farms and activists' efforts to get beagles out of the facility.