Wisconsin dog breeder to give up license to avoid criminal charges

Breeder to give up license, avoid criminal charges

Ridglan Farms will surrender its Wisconsin breeding license to avoid criminal charges after striking a deal with a special prosecutor.

MADISON, Wis. - America's second-largest breeder of beagles for scientific research, will surrender its Wisconsin breeding license.

Ridglan Farms, based in Blue Mounds, has been in the business of breeding and selling beagles for scientific research since 1966. That ends next year.

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Deal with special prosecutor

What they're saying:

On Tuesday, Ridglan Farms signed a two-page agreement promising to surrender its Wisconsin breeding license for good by next summer. 

"I think if you would have told us a year ago, or a year-and-a-half ago when we first brought the petition, that this would be the outcome, that Ridglan Farms would be closing down the breeding side of their business, I think we would have taken that in a minute," said Rebekah Robinson.

Robinson is the president of Dane4Dogs, the animal rights group that petitioned the court to appoint a special prosecutor. In January, a Dane County judge put La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke in charge of that investigation.

"The law is pretty clear. There's nothing I can do to stop animal testing," said Gruenke.

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Gruenke said the strongest evidence of a crime was related to so-called cherry eye surgeries performed by non-veterinarians at Ridglan Farms without anesthesia. But over the past eight months, he said the charging decision morphed into a negotiation.

"I can't shut down a business. I can't revoke a license. I can only charge a crime," he said. "I arrived at the realization that if they were agreeing to shut down their business, that's more than I can get out of a criminal prosecution, and so that seemed like the fair way to go."

Surrendering license

What's next:

In the agreement signed Tuesday, Ridglan Farms promised to surrender its breeding license by July 1, 2026. Until then, they will continue to sell as many of the remaining 3,000 beagles they have to their existing customers.

"As they sell their dogs, if there's anything left, the dogs will be surrendered and rehomed or adopted," said Gruenke.

Robinson said it’s a first step, and Dane4Dogs has no plans to give up on the dogs that are still stuck in Ridglan Farms cages.

"This decision today is a huge step in the right direction," she said. "We're not done. This isn't over. This is just one piece. This is just one aspect in a much larger campaign."

Ridglan Farms

Come next summer, Ridglan Farms will still have a USDA research license. FOX6 News asked Ridglan Farms if it plans to continue breeding beagles for its own research beyond next summer. In a statement, the business said:

"Ridglan Farms is in the process of entering a new chapter in our mission to improve the health of pets and humans alike. Despite the challenges of the past few months, we are tremendously proud of the outstanding care we provide to our animals, which play a pivotal role in ensuring the safety and effectiveness of cutting-edge veterinary and medical treatments. At the same time, we remain fully committed to the continuous improvement of our operations, protocols and practices to ensure our animals continue to receive the best care possible. Moving forward, we remain committed to combatting disease and improving health in dogs and humans alike."

Meanwhile, Gruenke issued an eight-page report that details his investigation and explains the outcome.

Editor's note: This story was updated with additional information.