Ridglan Farms, a Wisconsin beagle breeding facility, will permanently close after a deal to transfer all 475 remaining dogs to Big Dog Ranch Rescue. The facility, which has supplied dogs to research laboratories for nearly 60 years, will cease operations after the transfer is complete.
Transfer Details
The first transfer of 325 beagles was set for June 15-16, with the remaining 150 to be released by the beginning of August. Big Dog Ranch Rescue, based in Loxahatchee Groves, Florida, said some of the beagles will go to rescue partners and some will go to BDRR’s Florida and Alabama campuses, where they will be spayed, neutered and prepared for adoption.
Lauree Simmons, founder and CEO of Big Dog Ranch Rescue, said Ridglan Farms agreed to cease operations. “It is in our binding legal contract they are permanently closing, all of the dogs by Mid-August will be released to us. Not one dog left behind. No more breeding, no more testing,” Simmons said.
Reaction and Next Steps
The Center for a Humane Economy, a Washington, D.C.-based organization, said it received confirmation from Ridglan’s attorney that the company is winding down operations. Wayne Pacelle, president of the Center for a Humane Economy, said he heard from two Ridglan employees that the work of animal advocates “has driven us out of business.”
Big Dog Ranch Rescue said it will continue fighting to end the use of dogs in research and testing and hopes that the Department of Health and Human Services will discontinue funding studies that subject dogs to invasive and painful experimentation.
Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.
