Beagles in Limbo at Ridglan Farms: PETA Calls on Governor Evers to Save State Funds and Dogs’ Lives

For Immediate Release:
March 30, 2026

Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382

In a letter sent today, PETA urges Governor Tony Evers to direct state authorities to act to prevent major expenditures coming the state’s way as more people prepare to remove the dogs who are languishing despite Ridglan Farms being forced to surrender its state breeding license on July 1.

PETA also asks Governor Evers to ensure Ridglan reports where each dog goes and stops breeding and selling dogs by the deadline, as there is still no clear plan in place.

PETA reminds the governor that removing the dogs from Ridglan will relieve potential strains on public resources, since law enforcement has already responded to concerned citizens who broke into the facility and removed ailing beagles, with more “raids” being discussed on the internet.

“These dogs are in dire straits and need to come out of Ridglan Farms right now,” says PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo. “PETA urgently requests Governor Evers step in, prevent any further strain on public resources, and ensure the dogs are sent to reputable shelters and rescues, so they can be given the chance to live in a loving home.”

For decades, Ridglan has bred and sold beagles to be poisoned, mutilated, and killed in experiments, and has racked up state and federal animal welfare law violations. In October 2025, it agreed to surrender its state breeding license by July 1, 2026, to avoid charges of criminal cruelty to animals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture twice cited the facility earlier this year: once for missing medical records for a 6-year-old beagle being treated for painful cysts, and once for failing to justify the number of dogs used in four experiments.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to experiment on”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Evers follows.

March 30, 2026

The Honorable Tony Evers

Governor of Wisconsin

115 East Capitol

Madison, WI 53702

Dear Governor Evers,

I am writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the world’s largest animal rights organization, with more than 95,000 members in your state, to urge your immediate intervention regarding Ridglan Farms. We respectfully ask you to take swift action to prevent further expenditure of public resources responding to conditions at the facility and to protect the thousands of dogs who remain there ahead of the planned surrender of its commercial dog breeder license on July 1, 2026. We also wish to alert you to the federal government’s recent shift away from the use of dogs in experiments toward state-of-the-art, human-relevant research methods.

As you may well know, Ridglan Farms has bred beagles for decades for use in experimentation. Advocates have documented abysmal conditions there, including beagles kept in filth and suffering from untreated wounds and swollen feet from standing on wire floors. A former Ridglan employee testified that staff cut off dogs’ swollen eyelid glands with scissors, without any pain relief. Witnesses described dogs crying out, thrashing, and bleeding. The agreement requiring the facility to relinquish its license followed a criminal cruelty investigation in which felony charges were determined to be supportable. Yet, despite that finding, thousands of dogs remain at the facility, and there is still no public transparency regarding how they will be transferred or placed before operations cease. The public has the right to know.

In the absence of decisive enforcement action, advocates have already stepped in to remove dogs from the facility—actions that required the deployment of local law enforcement and other public resources. We are concerned that, without prompt safeguards from state officials, additional interventions are likely as advocates prepare to redouble their efforts in April. This outcome is avoidable.

This case is especially significant given the growing national shift away from the use of dogs in experimentation. Federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health, have each taken steps to reduce reliance on dog testing and expand state-of-the-art, human-relevant research methods. As these changes accelerate, Wisconsin should not remain associated with a facility whose primary purpose has been to supply dogs for laboratory use.

We respectfully urge you to direct the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to implement safeguards during the wind-down period, including requiring disclosure of the disposition of all remaining dogs, ensuring that dogs are released to reputable shelters and rescue organizations whenever possible, conducting enhanced inspections prior to closure, and ensuring that the intent of the license-surrender agreement—to end the breeding and sale of dogs from this facility—is fully realized in practice.

Ridglan’s closure presents an opportunity for Wisconsin to demonstrate leadership at a time when federal agencies are moving away from dog experimentation. With thousands of animals still at risk before the transition is complete, your leadership is urgently needed to ensure that the resolution of this case protects the dogs who remain and prevents further strain on public resources.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We would welcome the opportunity to provide additional information that may assist your office.

Sincerely,

Alka Chandna, Ph.D.

Vice President

Laboratory Oversight & Special Cases

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals