Ridglan Farms is a long-running commercial breeder in Blue Mounds Wisconsin that has supplied thousands of beagles to laboratories and research institutions for decades. That business model is now coming to an end. Under a legal agreement with a special prosecutor Ridglan Farms will surrender its Wisconsin dog-breeding license by July 1 2026. Once that date arrives the company will no longer be able to breed or sell beagles for laboratory use.
Why this is happening
Regulatory investigators and whistleblowers raised serious concerns about how beagles were being treated inside the facility. Reports described unlicensed workers performing surgical procedures improper veterinary oversight inadequate conditions and a lack of compliance with existing laws. A Wisconsin judge reviewed the evidence and found probable cause that Ridglan Farms may have violated criminal animal cruelty statutes. Rather than proceed into full criminal trial the authorities negotiated an agreement that requires Ridglan to give up its breeding license in exchange for avoiding prosecution as long as it follows every condition outlined.
What this means for operations
Ridglan Farms may continue limited operations until July 1 2026 under its current license. It is allowed to complete sales only with existing customers during this period. After the deadline the company must halt the commercial breeding and sale of beagles. Any beagles still remaining at the facility after the license is surrendered are to be transferred out for rehoming or adoption rather than sold into research pipelines.
Why the date matters
The legal settlement includes a defined wind-down period. This allows regulators to monitor compliance advocacy groups to prepare rehoming support and the company to close this part of its business in a controlled manner. The deadline is significant because it marks the scheduled end of a major source of lab-bound beagles in the United States.
Why it matters for the dogs and for advocacy
For the beagles, this decision will prevent thousands of future dogs from being born into a life of confinement and experimentation. For animal-welfare advocates, it is a milestone proving that strategic pressure, investigations, and official oversight can lead to real change, even inside a highly guarded industry. For policymakers, it reinforces the critical role of licensing accountability and enforcement in protecting animals used in the research supply chain.
**“Freedom is finally in their future, though we will always wish it had come sooner. We commend Dane4Dogs and The Marty Project for their tireless advocacy and countless hours spent fighting for the beagles inside Ridglan Farms.
While this is a long-awaited and meaningful step forward, Ridglan Farms is only one part of a much larger system. Marshall BioResources in North Rose, New York remains the largest breeder of beagles for laboratory testing in the United States. Thousands of dogs are still being born into a life of confinement and experimentation there. Our work continues until every beagle is free from this industry and the suffering finally ends.”**
— Beagle Lovers & Rescuers Representative
Timeline of Key Events
1966
Ridglan Farms is founded in Blue Mounds Wisconsin, eventually becoming one of the largest breeders of beagles for laboratory research in the United States.
2017
Activists with Direct Action Everywhere conduct an open rescue inside Ridglan Farms, documenting poor conditions and removing three beagles later named Julie Anna and Lucy.
2018
Rebekah Robinson co-founds Dane4Dogs, a Wisconsin nonprofit dedicated to ending the breeding sale and use of dogs and cats for experiments.
Robinson reads a groundbreaking exposé on Ridglan Farms that sparks her sustained activism.
Dane4Dogs launches a ballot initiative in Mount Horeb to ban dog and cat breeding for research. The measure receives just over forty percent support but ultimately fails due to heavy industry opposition and Ridglan’s local influence.
Dane4Dogs successfully advances and helps pass seven municipal bans on the use of dogs for experiments in Wisconsin communities including Richland Center Spring Green Kimberly Little Chute Stoughton Sun Prairie and Combined Locks.
Dane4Dogs helps initiate Wisconsin’s Beagle Freedom Bill and sparks a state-level investigation into veterinarians after filing formal complaints. This helps lay groundwork for a criminal investigation into Ridglan Farms.
2021
Dane County prosecutors file felony burglary and theft charges against the activists involved in the 2017 open rescue.
March 2024
All criminal charges against the rescuers are dropped just before trial, following strong public advocacy and intensifying scrutiny of Ridglan Farms.
Dane4Dogs and allied advocates file a petition requesting the court appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Ridglan for animal cruelty.
October 2024
A two-day evidentiary hearing includes testimony from veterinarians and former employees who describe dogs subjected to surgeries without anesthesia, solitary confinement, chronic untreated injuries, and psychological trauma.
January 2025
A judge rules there is probable cause to believe Ridglan Farms violated state animal cruelty laws. A special prosecutor is appointed to lead a formal investigation.
February 2025
The state’s criminal investigation officially begins under Special Prosecutor Tim Gruenke.
Inspectors confirm previous reports showing that unlicensed staff performed surgical procedures including cherry-eye operations without anesthesia or proper veterinary supervision.
March 2025
New data reveals Ridglan breeds more than four thousand beagle puppies per year with mortality rates reported between seven and thirteen percent. Many dogs are sold into painful long-term research including vaccine and drug toxicity testing.
April 2025
Leaked records identify major Ridglan customers including large contract research corporations and academic laboratories.
August 2025
Dane County Supervisors introduce Resolution 119 urging the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture to revoke Ridglan Farms’ commercial dog-breeding license and place the dogs into protective custody while the investigation continues.
October 24, 2025
The Dane County Board of Supervisors votes 30–5 in favour of Resolution 119, urging the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to revoke Ridglan Farms’ dog-breeder license and place the dogs into custodial care during the ongoing investigation.
At the same meeting, supporters from The Marty Project and other coalitions reiterated that the beagles are sentient beings deserving of ethical oversight.
October 28, 2025
Ridglan Farms announces that it will surrender its Wisconsin commercial dog-breeding license and cease breeding and selling beagles for laboratories by July 1, 2026, under an agreement reached as part of the ongoing investigation and regulatory pressure.
Significance
- The agreement to end breeding/sales by July 2026 marks a major shift in the U.S. lab-animal supply chain.
- However the larger ecosystem remains: other commercial breeders continue operations and the use of dogs in research persists until broader reforms take effect.
- Advocates emphasise that while Ridglan’s transition is a victory, the end of one facility is not the end of the problem.