Victory! Ridglan Farms Closing and All Beagles Saved!

Update (July 28, 2026): This is huge: The Wisconsin Veterinary Examining Board today permanently revoked the veterinary license of Ridglan Farms’ head veterinarian, Richard Van Domelen! The board found that he had engaged in unprofessional conduct by delegating hundreds of surgical procedures—including eye surgeries, vocal cord removals, and dental extractions—to non-veterinarians.

There have been other major developments at Ridglan. In April, 1,500 beagles imprisoned there were saved from being sold to laboratories after Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy came to an agreement with Ridglan to secure custody of the dogs. In June, Ridglan agreed to release the dogs remaining at its facility and shut down both its beagle-breeding and beagle-testing operations, marking a major step forward for animals.

This victory comes after years of pressure from PETA and other animal protection organizations—notably, Alliance for Animals, the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, Dane4Dogs, Direct Action Everywhere, The Marty Project, and The Simple Heart—who challenged a system that breeds dogs and other animals only to be confined, mutilated, poisoned, and killed in laboratories. We’re grateful to those groups and all the activists, organizations, donors, and whistleblowers who helped make this day possible.

With Ridglan’s closure, Marshall Farms is now the last major U.S. breeder supplying dogs to laboratories. Help us shut that pipeline down, too!