‘Metal and concrete was their world.’ CT native and animal welfare groups free 1,500 beagles from WI breeding facility
As part of the deal, Big Dog Ranch Rescue took 1,000 dogs, while the Center for a Humane Economy worked with a handful of rescue organizations to place 500 dogs.
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A total of 1,500 beagles from Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin are starting new lives after two animal advocate groups struck a deal to purchase them from the breeding facility.
Ridglan Farms is a USDA Class A dog breeder and USDA licensed Class R research facility that breeds beagles for biomedical research and testing.
In October 2025, Ridglan agreed to surrender its state breeding license as of July 1. The move is part of a deal to avoid prosecution on felony animal mistreatment charges.
Wayne Pacelle, New Haven native and president of Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action, worked with Big Dog Ranch Rescue to buy the dogs for an undisclosed amount of money under $1 million.
In 2022, Pacelle helped pass legislation that removed a requirement for new drugs to be tested on animals before human trials.
Pacelle says drugs tested on the dogs are commonly used to treat diseases like Alzheimer's, arthritis, weight-loss and cancer.
“We've been inhibited for 85 years from developing the best drugs because we've been testing them on animals," said Pacelle.
As part of the deal, Big Dog Ranch Rescue took 1,000 dogs, while the Center for a Humane Economy worked with a handful of rescue organizations to place 500 dogs. Those groups include the Beagle Freedom Project, the Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project, Wisconsin Federated Humane Societies and the Dane County Humane Society.
On May 3, Pacelle and a handful of volunteers went to pick the dogs up. Before their scheduled transport, the dogs got to play in the grass and smell fresh air for the first time in their lives.
Pacelle says before they were freed, the dogs lived in rooms with long rows of metal crates with two beagles per cage.
“Metal and concrete was their world,” said Pacelle.
Many of those dogs were flown to New Jersey where rescue groups like Lucky Dog Refuge in Stamford picked them up.
"Beagles are used in testing because they are such gentle, kind temperaments. They're the least likely to snap and bite,” said Kirstin Mende, co-founder and CEO of Lucky Dog Refuge. “It just breaks my heart that these labs and testing facilities use their kind nature against them.”
Lucky Dog Refuge took six dogs, who are now either adopted or being fostered until they can find their forever home.
"We've been flooded with applications. People love these beagles, and we're just so excited to watch them flourish,” said Mende.
Staff and volunteers at Lucky Dog Refuge say if it weren’t for the continued efforts of animal rights advocates, these dogs might still be living in cages.
"It just means so much that they're going to have loving homes," said Kristen Roeckle, board of directors' member at Lucky Dog Refuge.
“In this case, 1,500 beagles, it didn't just take a village. It took an entire country,” said Mende.
Next for the groups? They say there are 26,000 beagles at the Marshal Bio Resources testing facility in Wayne County, New York. They hope to rescue as many as they can, as soon as they can.
