Updated
Updated · WISN Milwaukee · Jun 15
Ridglan Farms to Close After Transferring 475 Beagles, Ending 60-Year Lab Supply Operation
Updated
Updated · WISN Milwaukee · Jun 15

Ridglan Farms to Close After Transferring 475 Beagles, Ending 60-Year Lab Supply Operation

3 articles · Updated · WISN Milwaukee · Jun 15

Summary

  • Ridglan Farms will permanently shut after transferring its last 475 beagles to Big Dog Ranch Rescue, with 325 dogs moving on June 15-16 and the remaining 150 by early August.
  • Big Dog Ranch Rescue said the dogs will be split between rescue partners and its Florida and Alabama campuses, where they will be sterilized and readied for adoption.
  • The transfer completes the rescue of 2,110 beagles since April 29 and leaves no dogs at the Dane County facility, which animal welfare groups described as the nation's second-largest beagle supplier to labs.
  • The closure follows months of pressure, including a probe into improper cherry-eye procedures, Ridglan's agreement to surrender its state breeding license by July 1, and a deal that helped it avoid felony animal mistreatment charges.

Insights

After rescuing thousands of beagles from one facility, can the animal welfare system handle these large-scale closures?
With a major beagle supplier closing, is the era of mandatory animal testing for new drugs nearing its end?
A 60-year-old research facility is gone. What is the unspoken cost of this victory to medical advancement?