Earlier this month, I shared the saga of the poor beagles from Ridglan Farms, a research facility that bred dogs for research and scientific testing — an outdated and barbaric practice.
The dogs' previous lives went something like this:
Before this week, these dogs lived in cages and pens in windowless rooms at Ridglan Farms, a Wisconsin-based research facility that breeds dogs for its own purposes and to sell to other facilities for experiments like toxicity testing and vaccine and drug development. It's the second-largest of its kind in the United States, and it's been in business for about six decades.
For years, animal welfare advocates accused Ridglan Farms of inhumane practices and mistreating the beagles it breeds. They claimed they lived in awful conditions with no exercise or socialization, and no access to the outdoors. I've read about accusations ranging from piles of waste everywhere to a strong scent of ammonia throughout the building to dogs forced to walk on floors essentially made of chicken wire. They even claimed that procedures, like cherry eye surgery, were performed on the dogs without veterinary oversight or pain relief.
Recommended: Touching the Ground for the First Time
The majority of the dogs are now free from that abuse and are in the care of rescue groups and foster parents. Numerous photos and videos of their new lives have emerged on social media, and I honestly can't get enough. So I wanted to share. Consider this your feel-good Friday story — just dogs getting to be normal dogs and know love for the first time.
In my previous column, I reported that many of the dogs had never touched grass and were doing so for the first time. Well, here's a video of a little guy who arrived in Wisconsin recently having the opportunity that every dog should have: exploring the outdoors (though I'm guess he could do without all the cameras present). Wait for the little jump...
HOMEWARD BOUND: The first beagles from Ridglan Farms are coming to Milwaukee! 🐶The first group was picked up today, and touched grass for the first time. It’s so sweet and so sad to see their hesitation. The @WiscHumane will receive 130 dogs this week. @fox6now @bryanpolcyn pic.twitter.com/08RiUu5sn5
— Nikola Junewicz (@nikolajunewicz) May 11, 2026
Here's a little girl who is fitting in quite nicely with her new foster siblings after a bit of hesitation:
After 4 days, the new Ridglan foster girl is showing the typical beagle enthusiasm for food, making the others look polite in comparison.
— Liz Highleyman (@LizHighleyman) May 15, 2026
And she barks! Research beagles are often “devocalized” by pinching their vocal cords, leaving them with a soft hoarse bark. But she has the… https://t.co/7OoCn73TM5 pic.twitter.com/3Sr7TO9eE3
Many of these little sweethearts are currently with Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Florida, and as you can see, they're having quite a nice time swimming and soaking up some sunshine. Gotta admit, I'm a little jealous — if I could be swimming with a good-looking guy who loves dogs right now, I would. Just saying...
Aww. What a difference a week makes. https://t.co/jCU8ipVnvC
— E Devoe (@MsSigSmith) May 10, 2026
TT: @BigdogRanchRescueFl ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BsjH8tV1K7
This beautiful girl is loving the sunshine and the human touch:
Aww. What a difference a week makes. https://t.co/jCU8ipVnvC
— E Devoe (@MsSigSmith) May 10, 2026
TT: @BigdogRanchRescueFl ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BsjH8tV1K7
Here are some dogs enjoying their first "pup cup."
The "Ridglan Beagles" are free😊😄😁#PawsAndEffect#DogsUnleashed#EndAnimalTesting pic.twitter.com/F9BIMliWVu
— GregMac (@GregMac746744) May 8, 2026
Here's one that has touched me the most. A woman named Holly Rilinger is apparently fostering (and it looks like maybe keeping) a pup she has named "Finn." She initially helped transport the dogs and said she knew she wanted to foster this guy because he was the most shut down of the group and just sat by himself. Here's more on what she had to say about him:
He sat just behind me and stared into the corner of his cage the entire drive. The first time I saw him, I had already committed in my heart to never leave him.
I’ve only had him for four days, and it’s been really tough. I’ve never been around a dog so shut down. But every day there are tiny little wins — ones you have to look closely to see — and each one warms my heart.
It sounds like he's landed in exactly the right place. Not only does he have a human who loves him and will never let him fall prey to the horrific treatment he received previously ever again, but he's swimming and hanging out with other dogs and starting to enjoy life a little bit more.
Something else Holly said was, "In a world that feels more divided than ever, 1,500 dogs managed to unite us. There’s something really powerful about that."
That has not been lost on me either. I've seen people from all walks of life — and all sides of the political spectrum — work to save these dogs, and it's nice to know we can still come together on something. Kudos to Holly and everyone else who helped make this happen. Here's Finn's story in two videos:
