MADISON, Wis. - The man in charge of Ridglan Farms will never be able to practice veterinary medicine again. At least, not in Wisconsin.
The state's Veterinary Examining Board voted Tuesday, July 28, to permanently revoke Richard Van Domelen's license for "unprofessional conduct."
License revoked
What we know:
As she quickly skimmed the newly released 28-page report, Amy Van Aartsen was a mix of smiles and tears.
"This makes me so happy," Van Aartsen said. "I think we’ve all waited for this day for such a long time."
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
The co-founder of The Marty Project is talking about the Wisconsin Veterinary Examining Board's Final Order in the disciplinary case against Van Domelen.
He is the facility manager and lead veterinarian at Ridglan Farms, which has bred beagles for scientific research since 1966. For the past two years, state regulators have been investigating claims that Van Domelen delegated hundreds of eye surgeries, vocal cord removals and dental extractions to non-veterinarians, many of whom failed to use proper anesthesia.
"Dental extractions without anesthesia," said FOX6 Investigator Bryan Polcyn.
"I can’t fathom," Van Aartsen said.
One former employee told state investigators she'd only give ketamine to the dogs that were squirmy.
"These poor pups were subject to such cruelty," Van Aartsen said.
Van Aartsen advocates for alternatives to animal testing in pharmaceutical research. But she says this is about something more.
"This is not about animal research at all. This is about animal cruelty," Van Aartsen said.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Nearly 2,000 Ridglan beagles have already been released to rescue organizations, and Ridglan Farms has surrendered its state and federal breeding licenses. It was in May that Van Domelen agreed to voluntarily surrender his license, but that was not made public until Tuesday, when the Veterinary Examining Board accepted the surrender and permanently revoked his license.
Up next, the last beagles are expected to come out of Ridglan Farms sometime in August.
Ridglan Farms beagles: Owner's son-in-law not among dozens charged
Activists are now charged for the so-called "open rescue" at Ridglan Farms in March. One name is noticeably missing from the list of those charged.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Bryan Polcyn and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information for this story comes from the Wisconsin Veterinary Examining Board's Final Decision and Order in DATCP Case No. 24 VET 158, an interview with Amy Van Aartsen of the Marty Project and prior FOX6 reporting on Ridglan Farms.