1,500 Beagles Leave Wisconsin Research Facility for Rescue Care and New Homes

A negotiated rescue agreement is moving 1,500 beagles out of Ridglan Farms in Wisconsin and toward new homes, according to the Associated Press. Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy purchased the dogs under a confidential agreement for an undisclosed price.

The Details

The first 300 dogs were removed from Ridglan on Friday, the Associated Press reported, with more scheduled to leave the facility over the next week. Big Dog Ranch Rescue is working with partners nationwide to place 1,000 of the beagles, while the Center for a Humane Economy is taking the remaining 500.

Lauree Simmons, president and founder of Big Dog Ranch Rescue, told the Associated Press that the first dogs began seeking contact soon after they were removed. "They started within an hour or so coming up to us, wanting attention," Simmons said. "Some crawled in people's laps. Every single one of them are super sweet. I think they are loving the attention. I just know they know they're safe."

The rescue effort has already drawn heavy public interest, according to the Associated Press. Big Dog Ranch Rescue has received over 700 adoption applications, but Simmons' group said the dogs still need screening, transport, vaccinations, microchipping, spay and neuter procedures, and housebreaking before they can be placed.

Simmons told the Associated Press that the dogs' adjustment will vary by age. "The younger dogs will adjust quicker, and the older dogs will take time," she said. "A lot of them are more willing to accept love and want to be with people."

The agreement was negotiated by Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy, according to the Associated Press. Talks to purchase the animals began months before an April disturbance at the facility, and Simmons said her group was not connected to the protests.

Ridglan Farms is in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, about 25 miles southwest of Madison, according to the Associated Press. The facility is federally licensed for research, and Simmons told the AP that beagles are commonly used in animal testing because of their smaller size and gentle temperament.

"Beagles are just so trusting and docile and calm and forgiving, so they are the most chosen dogs for animal testing," Simmons said, according to the Associated Press. "And so we're going to take one of the sweetest, kindest, most trusting breeds and abuse them? This is wrong. This needs to stop."

Context

The removal follows months of scrutiny around Ridglan Farms, according to the Associated Press. In October, Ridglan agreed to surrender its state breeding license as of July 1 as part of a deal to avoid prosecution on felony animal mistreatment charges.

A special prosecutor determined that Ridglan performed eye procedures that violated state veterinary standards, the Associated Press reported. The rescue purchase is separate from that legal settlement, but both developments are part of the record now surrounding the facility.

The facility also became the focus of direct action by animal-rights activists this spring, according to the Associated Press. In March, protesters broke into Ridglan Farms and took 30 dogs, and 63 people were referred to the district attorney for potential charges.

On April 18, about 1,000 activists attempted to take beagles from Ridglan Farms, the Associated Press reported. Police used tear gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray; 29 people were arrested, and five face felony burglary charges. Activists have filed a federal lawsuit in Wisconsin alleging police used unnecessary force during the April confrontation.

What's Next

More dogs are scheduled to be removed from Ridglan over the next week, according to the Associated Press. After that, Big Dog Ranch Rescue and its partners will work through screening, medical care, transport, microchipping, sterilization, and housebreaking before matching dogs with adopters.

The Center for a Humane Economy will take 500 of the beagles, while Big Dog Ranch Rescue will coordinate placements for 1,000, according to the Associated Press. The more than 700 adoption applications already received give the rescue a large pool of potential homes, but placement will depend on each dog's preparation and screening.

For the first dogs removed Friday, Simmons' account to the Associated Press pointed to the immediate change ahead: attention, handling, and homes after life inside the research facility. The next stage is the slower work of moving the remaining beagles from Ridglan Farms into rescue care and, after required steps, onto adopters' laps.