Ridglan Farms
Closing July 2026Blue Mounds, Dane County, Wisconsin — USDA Class A Breeder + Class R Research Facility
~3,200 dogs16 employeesOperating since 1960s311 DATCP violations$55K fine
Sources
26 primary and secondary sources for the Ridglan investigation, organized by category.
Court Documents(5)
Special Prosecutor Petition — March 2024
Petition for appointment of special prosecutor under § 968.02(3). Names Dane4Dogs Ltd. and Wayne Hsiung as petitioners. Describes cherry eye mutilations, conditions.
Order Granting Special Prosecutor — January 9, 2025
Court finds probable cause of multiple criminal violations under § 951. DA refused to act despite evidence from May 2018.
Court Filing2024Primary
Post-Hearing Brief — Case No. 2024JD000001
33-page brief filed November 8, 2024 in Dane County Circuit Court. Contains testimony summaries, exhibit references, and legal analysis.
Settlement2025Primary
Settlement Agreement — Gruenke / Ridglan Farms
October 28, 2025. Ridglan surrenders DATCP license by July 1, 2026. No criminal charges filed.
Testimony2024Primary
Evidentiary Hearing Transcript — Oct 23, 2024
Gilbertson, Reich, Hsiung testimony. Expert witnesses. 26 exhibits admitted.
Government Records(8)
Inspection Report2016Primary
DATCP Inspection — October 26, 2016 (Ex. 14)
Flooring issues, stereotypic behaviors. First documented wire mesh problems.
Inspection Report2022Primary
DATCP Inspection — July 6, 2022 (Ex. 16)
30% of cages rusty. Inspector nauseated by ammonia. Throat irritation lasting hours.
Inspection Report2023Primary
USDA Inspection — December 5, 2023 (Ex. 17)
Puppies' feet through flooring in 11 enclosures — same issue from 2016, seven years later.
Inspection Report2024Primary
DATCP Inspection — June 6, 2024 (Ex. 18)
Drainage failure, limping dog with ruptured interdigital cyst, no documentation.
Inspection Report2024Primary
DATCP Inspection — September 16, 2024 (Ex. 19)
Same drainage failure. 3,200 dogs, 16 employees.
Enforcement2025Primary
DATCP Citation — 311 Violations
308 counts mistreatment + 3 daily health check failures. $55,148.50 proposed fine.
Enforcement2025Primary
VEB License Suspension — Van Domelen
Unanimous vote September 30, 2025. Delegated surgeries to unlicensed staff.
Open Records2024Primary
DA Office Communications re: Ridglan
Revealed 983 emails to DA about Ridglan. No response to any.
Investigative & Expert Sources(8)
Video2017Primary
Hsiung Investigation Footage — April 2017
Exhibits 6-13: confinement, spinning dogs, flooring, devocalized dogs.
News2018Secondary
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist feature article
Feature-length article using Hsiung's footage.
Expert Declaration2024Primary
Dr. Rosenberg — Veterinary Assessment
Conditions 'significantly worse than Envigo.'
Expert Declaration2024Primary
Dr. McConnell — Sworn Declaration (Ex. 26)
Certified applied animal behaviorist. Conditions 'torturous for dogs.'
Expert Declaration2024Primary
Dr. Lopresti-Goodman — Declaration (Ex. 27)
Chronic psychological distress, canine PTSD.
Analysis2025Secondary
Rise for Animals — USDA Inspector Analysis
All 28 inspections by same VMO (Welch). Violation rates by configuration.
FOX6 — Settlement reporting
Wisconsin dog breeder to give up license to avoid criminal charges.
WPR — Breeding operation closing
Dane County beagle breeding operation to close after animal cruelty investigation.
Advocacy & Coalition Sources(5)
Dane4Dogs — Ridglan hub page
Ongoing campaign documentation, action pages, event listings, legislative tracking.
Dane4Dogs — Legislation page
SB 414 / AB 436 timeline, co-sponsorship memo, hearing documentation.
Coalition campaign site — SaveTheDogs.io
Post-March 2026 coalition messaging, #Ridglan8, April 12 mobilization.
DxE — Right to Rescue / Ridglan page
Campaign infrastructure for 2017 rescue and Right to Rescue legal framework.
Deep Research2026Secondary
Dane4Dogs and the Coalition to Save the Ridglan Beagles
Comprehensive investigative profile compiled from court filings, news reporting, organizational records, and public documents. 73 sourced citations.