UPDATED APRIL 30, 2026
Ridglan Farms, a breeding facility in Blue Mounds, WI, agreed to release 1,500 beagles.
Together with partner shelters and organizations, we will help prepare around 500 dogs for their next steps in the coming weeks. DCHS will conduct veterinary exams, provide immediate medical care and vaccinations, and facilitate transfer to partner shelters and rescues.
The beagles that stay with DCHS will also require ongoing medical care, behavioral support, and time to adjust to a new setting. When they're ready, they will need patient adopters willing to show them what love and safety feel like.
This is a large, resource-intensive effort, and we can't do it alone. YOUR support can help provide critical medical care, supplies, and staffing to ensure every dog has the best possible chance at a healthy future.
You can also help by adopting animals currently available at the shelter, which will free up our team to care for the incoming beagles and other animals.
The beagles will not be available for public viewing.
Please do not call, email, or stop in to inquire about the beagles so our staff can focus on their care. We will update this page regularly and our social media channels (Facebook and Instagram) as more information becomes available. We may not have all of the answers yet, as this is a quickly evolving situation. We appreciate your patience.
We also created a list of Frequently Asked Questions with answers below that may help.
Thank you in advance for your patience and support. With your help, we can change the lives of these dogs forever.
Any additional funds raised will be used to continue the work Dane County Humane Society does every day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some quick answers to common inquiries.
What are the details of the Ridglan Farm release?
What happens next?
How can I help the beagles in your care?
How can I adopt a beagle from Ridglan Farms?
Where in Wisconsin will the Ridglan Farms beagles be transferred?
What should I be prepared for if I adopt a Ridglan Farm beagle?
My rescue/shelter wants to help! Will you transfer dogs to us?
I want to foster a beagle, can I?
I want to visit the beagles. How can that happen?
I want to volunteer to help the beagles. Can I?
Will this impact your ability to help other local animals?
What happens to the thousands of dogs at Ridglan Farms next?
Originally posted in March 2026
We’ve been hearing from many community members who are concerned about the dogs at Ridglan Farms. We understand—this is a deeply upsetting and emotional situation.
Ridglan Farms is a large-scale dog facility in Blue Mounds that breeds beagles for use in research. The scale of their operations is significant, involving thousands of dogs at a time.
In late 2025, a legal agreement was reached that will result in the facility surrendering their license to sell dogs by July 1, 2026 to avoid criminal prosecution. As part of that agreement, Ridglan Farms may continue to place dogs prior to closure. This is an evolving situation, and many individual organizations are closely following what happens next.
Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) is a private, nonprofit organization and does not have legal authority to investigate animal abuse or seize animals. DCHS maintains contractual relationships to serve as a holding facility for stray and impounded animals, including those seized by local authorities pursuant to Chapter 173 of the Wisconsin Statutes. Decisions on whether to seize an animal or to keep a seized animal at DCHS are made by law enforcement, statutorily-authorized humane officers, and representatives of Dane County Animal Control, in conjunction with local prosecutors and the courts.
If dogs are legally released and in need of care, we stand ready to assist alongside partner shelters and rescue organizations to provide support and help find homes. Our priority is always the wellbeing of the animals and working collaboratively to achieve the best possible outcomes.
We understand there is a plan to remove dogs by members of the public. As the county’s stray holding facility, DCHS is legally obligated to hold and attempt to return any animal brought to us as a “stray” to its registered owner.
While we are not able to intervene directly at the facility, we remain committed to supporting animal welfare efforts in our community.
Dane4Dogs provides a detailed overview of the history of the issue. While we recognize the value of this background information, our organization does not necessarily share all viewpoints or proposed solutions outlined.
