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Wisconsin dog breeding farm faces scrutiny; activists push for action
A Dane County judge found probable cause that Ridglan Farms committed animal cruelty, but the facility continues to house thousands of beagles.
MADISON, Wis. - A Dane County judge found probable cause that Ridglan Farms, a commercial dog breeder west of Madison, committed crimes of animal cruelty.
But months later, thousands of beagles remain in cages as investigations continue.
What we know:
Founded in 1966, Ridglan has long bred beagles for laboratory testing.
Activists say the dogs are denied human contact, subjected to painful procedures without relief, and sold to labs where they are exposed to toxic chemicals and disease.
"These dogs are bred to be social," said Rebekah Robinson, who founded the group Dane4Dogs in 2018 to draw attention to the farm. "Those dogs are in distress."
It took seven years for her activism to gain enough traction to launch a criminal investigation. But she and her fellow activists have been waiting another seven months for that investigation to turn into action.
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Robinson and others have pressed for action since January, when Judge Rhonda Lanford ruled there was evidence of cruelty, including surgeries performed by unlicensed staff and deprivation of daily human interaction.
In February, La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke was appointed special prosecutor. He has not announced whether charges will follow and has only said the investigation is ongoing.
Ridglan’s veterinarian, Richard Van Domelen, is fighting to keep his license. Attorneys for the farm insist the business complies with state and federal regulations.
What they're saying:
Meanwhile, state inspectors have cited more than 300 alleged civil violations. Officials said Ridglan declined a settlement this month, and the case has been referred to the Dane County district attorney.
The investigations remain pending.
"I think it's a disturbing lack of action by the government," said Wayne Hsiung with The Simple Heart, who got inside Ridglan Farms in 2017.
He recorded the images that thrust the breeder into the spotlight of a national controversy.
"Should we be treating man's best friend as a mere test tube in a lab experiment?" he asked.
Records obtained by FOX6 Investigators show some of the labs force-fed dogs toxic chemicals or loaded their bodies with disease-ridden ticks – then killed them and harvested their organs.
Wisconsin dog breeder rejects $55K fine; disputes animal welfare violations
A controversial Dane County dog breeder says it did not allow unlicensed employees to perform painful surgeries on beagles – or if they did, regulations allowed for it.
Activists say the dogs cannot wait indefinitely.
"As we speak, there are thousands of dogs trapped at Ridglan Farms while this is ongoing, and they suffer every day we don’t get a decision," Robinson said.
Animal rescue organizations say they are ready to step in if the dogs are released.
"We have the infrastructure to get all of these dogs placed," said John Ramer, executive director of Kindness Ranch in Wyoming.
He said his group helped relocate more than 4,000 dogs when a similar facility, Envigo, was shut down in Virginia in 2022.
"If it comes to the point that it’s going to be shut down, I can have 3,200 dogs moved off the property within 90 days," Ramos said.
Dig deeper:
Ridglan Farms has not signaled any intention of giving up its dogs. Attorney Eric McLeod said it’s all a legal business and he insists everything they have done fits within the bounds of state and federal regulations.
"Obviously, we dispute the claims," he said.
Robinson remains hopeful that the dogs will one day experience life beyond the cage.
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"I think there is progress happening, it's just incredibly slow," she said. "They are bred to love humans, to want human contact."
For all of the ongoing investigations against Ridglan Farms, its managers and employees, there has yet to be any official public finding that Ridglan has violated the law.
In a letter to the Dane County Board earlier this month, Van Domelen pointed to their most recent USDA inspection which found no violations of animal welfare guidelines.
The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection says Ridglan Farms declined Friday to accept a settlement over more than 300 alleged violations.
What's next:
The department will now refer the case to the Dane County District Attorney.
That case is in addition to the ongoing criminal investigation by a special prosecutor.
The Source: Information in this post was produced and researched by FOX6 Investigators.