Ridglan Farms

Ridglan Farms, Inc. is a beagle breeding facility in Blue Mounds, Dane County, Wisconsin. It has operated since the 1960s and was the nation's second-largest research dog breeder until a 2025 settlement required it to surrender its license by July 1, 2026.

The Facility

The facility bred beagles for sale to pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations, and laboratories for use in preclinical toxicology and safety testing. At its peak it housed approximately 3,200 dogs with only 16 full-time employees — three of whom were assigned to dog socialization, averaging approximately two minutes per dog per week.

The Investigation

A 2017 undercover investigation by Wayne Hsiung documented conditions on video — spinning dogs, wire flooring, devocalized dogs. This led to a Pulitzer-nominated article (2018), six years of ignored complaints to the DA, the appointment of a special prosecutor (2025), 311 state violations, the suspension of the lead veterinarian's license, and a settlement requiring Ridglan to surrender its breeding license by July 2026.

The USDA Inspector Problem

All 28 of Ridglan's USDA inspection records were prepared by the same Veterinary Medical Officer: Scott Welch. When working alone he found violations 4% of the time. When accompanied by Animal Care Specialists, the rate jumped to 100%. During the same years, state regulators (DATCP) found 311 violations at the same facility.

What Ridglan Can Still Do

Under the October 2025 settlement, Ridglan does not admit criminal or civil liability. After July 1, 2026, it may no longer sell beagles to outside researchers. However, it may retain approximately 84 beagles for internal research conducted at the facility on behalf of contracted clients.

Significance

Ridglan's closure leaves Marshall BioResources as the near-monopoly supplier of purpose-bred beagles in the United States. Combined with the Envigo shutdown in 2022, two of the three major US breeders will have exited the market within four years.