A beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin that was the site of recent violent protests has been closed, and its remaining dogs are being taken in by a rescue group in Florida.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue announced Monday that it has reached an agreement to permanently close Ridglan Farms and relocate its remaining 475 beagles starting this week.
“There won’t be a single dog left,” Lori Simmons, the group’s founder, said at a news conference at a farm in Wisconsin. “No more breeding, no more testing, no more anything.”
Years of opposition to the facility came to a head in April when a large group of animal welfare activists stormed the facility in an attempt to keep the beagles away, prompting police to use tear gas and pepper spray as they made dozens of arrests.
Some protesters were also arrested in March after they broke into the facility and took 30 dogs from the facility, which is located in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Madison.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue said some of the beagles will go to rescue groups while others will be sent to its campuses in Florida and Alabama where they will be spayed, neutered and prepared for adoption.
Beagles roam the grass Monday, June 15, 2026, in Marshall, Wisconsin.
Big Dog Farm Rescue via AP
The group purchased approximately 1,500 of the facility’s 2,000-plus beagles in April for an undisclosed price.
About 200 dogs were transported Monday, according to Simmons. Another 125 will be transferred on Tuesday. The remaining beagles will be moved in August, as they are still puppies.
Simons called on protesters to refrain from further demonstrations, as he said Ridglan Farms had committed to permanently closing its breeding, sales, research and testing operations.
“Our focus now must be on supporting these dogs as they transition to their new lives,” Simons said. “These dogs will have safety and a normal life for the first time.”
Simmons said her group is also “working closely” with the Trump administration to stop funding studies that subject dogs to “invasive and painful experiments.”
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Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., called Monday’s deal a “major victory for animal welfare” in a post on X.
In a statement, Ridgelan Farms said all of the dogs transported are “happy, healthy animals” and have “exhaustive” state and federal inspection documentation.
“We hope these dogs will continue to thrive in their new homes,” the company said, adding that it hopes “the years-long campaign of harassment targeting research facility owners, employees, and neighbors” will end.
Animal rights activists have sought for years to have the dogs adopted out at the facility, not sold to other research facilities.
Beagles are the most common dog breed used in animal experiments, mainly due to their smaller size and gentle temperament, according to Big Dog Ranch Rescue.
Ridgelan Farms agreed in October to give up its state breeding license effective July 1 as part of a deal to avoid prosecution on animal abuse charges.
The company denied abusing the animals, but a special prosecutor determined that Ridglan Farms was performing eye procedures that violated government veterinary standards.
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