Hundreds of adorable beagles rescued from research lab to be put up for adoption

Published: 00:24, 5 May 2026 | Updated: 00:25, 5 May 2026 Hundreds of adorable dogs were rescued from a Wisconsin research lab and will soon be up for adoption.  Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Florida received 300 beagles on Saturday night from Ridglan Farms, a lab that breeds the pups for veterinary medicine testing and illness research. In 2025, a judge found probable cause of animal cruelty at the lab after state inspectors uncovered 300 alleged animal welfare violations. The pups allegedly had untreated injuries and underwent surgeries without anesthesia. Ridglan Farms made an agreement in October 2025 to surrender its breeding license by July 1, 2026.   But animal rights activists remained outraged - some broke into the facility in March and took 22 beagles. Eight were later returned by police, the Sun Sentinel reported. The following month, hundreds of protesters swarmed Ridglan Farms, and the standoff ended with multiple arrests.  The rescue team and the Center for a Humane Economy struck a deal with the lab last week to rescue more than 1,000 adorable beagles.  Big Dog Ranch Rescue received 300 beagles on Saturday night from a Wisconsin research lab Ridglan Farms is lab that breeds beagles for veterinary medicine testing and illness research In 2025, a judge found probable cause of animal cruelty at lab after state inspectors uncovered 300 alleged animal welfare violations 'We are incredibly grateful to everyone who showed up in the late and early hours to welcome our transport buses and vans and help receive these dogs with such care and compassion,' the rescue center wrote on Facebook. 'Because of your prayers and generous donations, we have been able to transport 300 of these precious beagles here to begin their new journey in life.  'While this is a major milestone, the road ahead is still a long one,' they added. In a statement to Fox News, the research lab addressed the abuse allegations. 'The dogs at Ridglan Farms are happy, healthy and well cared for. Publicly available USDA documentation shows this has been the case for many years.  'As the dogs sold this week leave our veterinary research facility, we hope they will continue to live happy lives in their new adopted homes,' they added. The four-legged friends will be spayed and neutered upon arrival at Big Dog Ranch Rescue, where they’ll also receive proper vaccinations and microchipping before joining new families. An additional 700 beagles will be transported to Florida rescue ranch at a later date, while the Center for a Humane Economy will arrange a new spot of the remaining 500 pups at the lab.  The four-legged friends will be spayed and neutered upon arrival at Big Dog Ranch Rescue They’ll also receive proper vaccinations and microchipping before joining new families An additional 700 beagles will be transported to Florida rescue ranch at a later date The Center for a Humane Economy will arrange a new spot of the remaining 500 pups at the lab Beagles are the number one breed of choice for testing because of their friendly and docile nature The president of the Center for a Humane Economy, Wayne Pacelle, praised the workers and called the arrangement 'one of the largest transfers' ever.  According to the Beagle Freedom Project, beagles are the top choice for testing because of their friendly, docile nature.  'The same characteristics that make them incredible companions and family members, are why they are exploited by the animal testing industry,' per the organization. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.