A beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin, which has been the target of numerous animal rights protests, is shutting down. Big Dog Ranch Rescue, based in Florida, will take in the remaining dogs from the facility. Lauree Simmons, the organization's founder, stated, “Not one dog will remain,” emphasizing that there will be “no more breeding, no more testing, no more anything.”
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Animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) praised the closure, viewing it as a significant achievement in the fight against animal research. PETA released a statement noting that this development results from years of advocacy aimed at challenging the system that breeds dogs solely for experimentation purposes.
Earlier this year, activists demonstrated in March and April to free the beagles, culminating in a protest in April where approximately 1,000 activists clashed with police, leading to 29 arrests, according to the Dane County Sheriff's Department. Chris Carraway, an attorney with the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, highlighted that activists had sought help from various authorities prior to the protests, but their efforts to protect the dogs from cruelty were unsuccessful.
Following the protests, Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy negotiated a deal to acquire 1,500 of the 2,000 beagles at Ridglan Farms for an undisclosed sum. Animal rights attorneys subsequently pursued legal action to safeguard the remaining 500 dogs.
In October, Ridglan Farms reached a settlement with a special prosecutor concerning allegations of animal abuse that required them to surrender their breeding license but did not mandate improvements for the dogs that remained. Ridglan Farms has denied any mistreatment.
On Monday, Big Dog Ranch Rescue announced a new agreement for the facility’s permanent closure, allowing for the transfer of the remaining beagles. Some dogs will go to other rescue groups, while others will be transitioned to the organization’s campuses in Florida and Alabama for spaying or neutering before adoption. Ridglan Farms stated that all dogs being transferred are documented as “happy, healthy animals” and expressed hope for a cessation of the harassment directed at its operators and staff.