Animal rights groups are set to rescue 135 more beagles from Ridglan Farms, a medical research facility in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, on Wednesday. This latest removal will bring the total number of beagles rescued from the facility to 1,635 since last month, following the relocation of 1,500 dogs, as reported by the Center for Humane Economy.
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The dogs will be divided among various rescue organizations, with 67 beagles going to Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Loxahatchee Grove, Florida. The remaining dogs will be transferred to the Beagle Freedom Project, based in Southern California, where they are expected to be put up for adoption.
Shannon Keith, founder of the Beagle Freedom Project, expressed the need for more homes, stating, "We just don’t have enough beagles!"
Ridglan Farms has agreed to sell the beagles to animal rescue groups as part of a legal settlement following a federal lawsuit accusing the facility of abusing the dogs, which were bred for medical research. The details of the financial settlement have not been disclosed, and Ridglan Farms has given up its beagle breeding license as part of the agreement. The facility has denied the allegations of animal abuse, asserting that the dogs are healthy and well cared for, citing USDA records.
Wayne Pacelle, president of the Center for Humane Economy, noted last month that adoption interest has exceeded the number of available beagles, highlighting the overwhelming response from the public. As for the remaining beagles at Ridglan Farms, it remains unclear how many are still there.
The rescue efforts have garnered celebrity support, including pop star Debbie Gibson and Terry “Geezer” Butler of Black Sabbath, who both participated in the initial rescue last month. Gibson remarked on the impact of the experience, recalling, "It was so profound to be able to hold each of these dogs in our arms and be able to assure them that their new life was starting." ABC News contributed to this report.