WAN EXCLUSIVE: Inside The Historic Ridglan Farms Beagle Rescue With Big Dog Ranch Rescue
World Animal News recently traveled to Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Florida for an inside look at one of the largest beagle rescue efforts in recent history. We interviewed Founder and CEO Lauree Simmons and met many of the rescued beagles as they embarked on their journey to finding loving forever homes.
Following the closure of Ridglan Farms in Wisconsin, a commercial breeding facility that supplied beagles for laboratory research and experiments, more than 2,100 dogs are being given a second chance through a nationwide coalition of animal welfare organizations, with Big Dog Ranch Rescue playing a key role.
“We are ecstatic to have them finally out of Ridglan Farms,” Simmons told World Animal News during an exclusive tour of the organization’s 34-acre, cage-free campus. “These dogs were bred to be sold off for all kinds of awful experiments. So for these 2,100 dogs, we were able to get them safely into rescues across the country to give them the chance to live life outside of a cage, have fresh air, touch grass for the first time, live pain-free, and eventually find loving families, which is what they deserve.”
Many of the rescued beagles had never experienced life beyond a cage, making even simple experiences like walking on grass, feeling the sun for the first time, and exploring the outdoors completely new to them. Simmons said they require patience as they adjust to a world they’ve never known.
Since its inception in 2008, Big Dog Ranch Rescue has saved approximately 90,000 dogs. With the historic rescue of more than 2,100 former Ridglan Farms beagles alongside rescue partners across the country, that number will exceed 92,000.
“I tell all my staff this was just a warm-up run,” she said. “Next comes Marshall BioResources and Charles River Laboratories.” With approximately 22,000 beagles at Marshall BioResources alone, Simmons said the fight to rescue dogs bred for laboratory research is far from over.
Unlike a traditional shelter, Big Dog Ranch Rescue was designed to be a place of healing. The 34-acre campus features spacious, cage-free rooms, expansive play yards, swimming pools, and enrichment areas where the beagles can recover, gain confidence, and prepare for the lives they were always meant to live.
After receiving veterinary care, including spay and neuter procedures, they begin their journey to finding loving forever homes.
Simmons emphasized that none of this would be possible without the dedication of her staff, volunteers, board members, and rescue partners across the country.
“I don’t do this alone,” she said. “I have a wonderful board of directors, wonderful employees, wonderful volunteers that all help make this happen. We need an army to win the war for animals.”
Simmons hopes Big Dog Ranch Rescue’s model can be replicated across the country, proving that when compassionate organizations work together, thousands of animals can be given the second chance they deserve.
By working together, making America more humane, strengthening animal protection laws, and enforcing existing legislation, lasting change is possible for animals everywhere.
For World Animal News, the visit was a powerful reminder that every rescued beagle represents more than a life saved. It represents hope, healing, and the possibility of a future free from harm.
To support Big Dog Ranch Rescue’s lifesaving work or learn more about adopting one of these deserving beagles, CLICK HERE!
