Ongoing Injustice: The Suffering Of Beagles Experimented On At Ridglan Farms

Yesterday, attorneys submitted inspection reports to the Dane County Circuit Court, documenting ongoing animal cruelty violations at Ridglan Farms, the beagle breeding and experimentation facility. The reports, from June and September 2024, reveal a troubling persistence of mistreatment and neglect, underscoring the chronic issues that have long plagued this establishment.

The inspection in June was routine; however, due to uncovered violations, Ridglan Farms faced a mandated follow-up inspection within 120 days, conducted in September. This subsequent inspection confirmed not only the persistence of violations but their exacerbation. These troubling findings have been submitted as part of a legal case seeking the appointment of a special prosecutor to pursue criminal animal cruelty charges against Ridglan. The reports are set to be presented as evidence at a hearing scheduled for October 23rd.

Attorneys contend that Ridglan’s persistent violations of animal welfare laws, despite heightened scrutiny and awareness of pending inspections, reveal that cruelty is integral to its business practices.

“Ridglan is a factory farm for dogs. Thousands are confined to cages in a warehouse, with no access to the outdoors and little socialization or enrichment. Their bodies are mutilated. They are denied veterinary care. They suffer psychological torment—driven to madness,” said Steffen Seitz, litigation fellow at the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project (AALDP). “Like any other factory farm, extreme cruelty is inevitable.”

The June 6th, 2024, inspection, obtained by AALDP client Dane4Dogs through an open records request, documented a dog with an untreated, ruptured cyst on her foot, insufficient socialization, and improper waste disposal causing unsanitary conditions. The September 16th, 2024, inspection found even more violations than in June. These ongoing violations echo the core claims behind the petition for a special prosecutor.

“Ridglan Farms has been flouting the law for over a decade, racking up repeated violations without consequence, despite Wisconsin Act 90 giving DATCP the authority to revoke their license,” said Rebekah Robinson, President of Dane4Dogs. “If injured dogs, lack of veterinary care, stagnant urine pools, and the accumulation of feces aren’t enough to revoke their license, what is?”

Both the June and September inspections were conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP). Other agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS), have documented violations at Ridglan dating back to 2006. Two former Ridglan employees have come forward as whistleblowers and will testify at the October 23rd hearing.

“AFA continues to be appalled by Ridglan’s ongoing failure to meet even the minimum standards set by state and federal regulations. Even the threat of criminal prosecution has not compelled them to change,” said Mary Telfer, Board President of Alliance for Animals.

Advocates argue that conditions at Ridglan are just as horrific as those that led to the closure of Envigo in 2022. Following a U.S. Department of Justice intervention, Envigo was fined $35 million, marking the largest fine ever for animal welfare violations. Ridglan, along with the now-shuttered Envigo, is one of only two remaining large-scale commercial breeders of beagles for experimentation in the country. This, advocates say, illustrates the true nature of dog experimentation in the United States.

Seitz and AALDP represent Dane4Dogs and are joined by co-petitioners Alliance for Animals, represented by Kristin Schrank, and animal rescuer Wayne Hsiung of The Simple Heart, in their call for a special prosecutor.