Beagle FREEDOM — Trump FAMILY SAVES 1,500 From Labs

Over 1,500 beagles bred for laboratory testing are finally walking free from a Wisconsin facility that agreed to surrender its breeding license to avoid criminal charges — and a Florida rescue with ties to the Trump family helped make it happen.

Story Highlights

Two animal rescue organizations purchased approximately 1,500 beagles from Ridglan Farms in Marshall, Wisconsin, a commercial breeding facility that supplied dogs to research laboratories.
Ridglan Farms agreed to forfeit its state breeding license by July 1, 2023, as part of a settlement with a special prosecutor to avoid potential criminal charges.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue, a Florida-based organization with ties to the Trump family, and the Center for a Humane Economy paid a confidential sum to secure the dogs’ release.
Roughly 500 additional dogs remained at the facility at the time of the deal, as USDA records showed approximately 2,100 dogs on site in January 2023.

A Deal Struck to Avoid Criminal Charges

Ridglan Farms, a commercial beagle breeding operation in Marshall, Wisconsin, reached a settlement with a special prosecutor that required the facility to surrender its state breeding license by July 1, 2023. The agreement came after years of protests, legal challenges, and activist break-ins drew public scrutiny to the facility. Rather than face potential criminal prosecution, the farm’s owners agreed to wind down operations and allow rescue organizations to purchase and remove the dogs.

In March 2023, activist Wayne Hsiung led a break-in at the facility, removing 22 beagles. Hsiung faced felony burglary charges as a result. That high-profile action intensified national attention on Ridglan Farms and accelerated negotiations between rescue groups and facility owners. The Beagle Freedom Project and the Nonhuman Rights Project had also been engaged in legal efforts, describing conditions at the farm as windowless warehouse confinement with limited veterinary care and reported surgical procedures such as cherry eye removal.

Trump-Tied Rescue Group Leads the Charge

Big Dog Ranch Rescue, a Florida-based nonprofit with documented ties to the Trump family, partnered with the Center for a Humane Economy to finalize the purchase agreement. The two organizations paid a confidential sum for the 1,500 beagles. The involvement of a Trump-connected rescue organization is notable, reflecting a cross-ideological concern for animal welfare that resonates with many conservatives who believe in responsible stewardship of animals and opposition to unnecessary cruelty.

Dogs began leaving the facility in waves, transported to shelters across multiple states including New York, Virginia, and others. Nonprofit organizations coordinated flights and ground transport to move the animals quickly. The Beagle Freedom Project noted that many dogs required immediate veterinary attention, including assessments, vaccinations, and various medical treatments, upon arrival at receiving shelters and rescue facilities.

Hundreds of Dogs Still Left Behind

Despite the landmark rescue, not all dogs at Ridglan Farms were included in the deal. USDA records indicated approximately 2,100 dogs were housed at the facility in January 2023. With 1,500 purchased by rescue groups, roughly 500 animals remained behind at the time the agreement was announced. Animal welfare organizations continued pressing for the release of the remaining dogs, though no immediate agreement covering those animals was publicly confirmed.

The Southern Nevada Beagle Rescue Foundation is headed to Wisconsin to take in beagles that are being released from a controversial breeding facility in Wisconsin through a deal. Ridglan Farms breeds beagles for scientific research and has made national headlines for many years. pic.twitter.com/CqJNZpXhyK

— Tiffany Lane (@TiffanyNews3LV) May 5, 2026

The Ridglan Farms case highlights a broader pattern of tension between commercial research breeding operations and animal welfare advocates. Facilities like Ridglan supply beagles to pharmaceutical and government-funded research laboratories, a practice that has drawn comparisons to controversial NIH-funded experiments — including those associated with Dr. Anthony Fauci — that sparked widespread public outrage in prior years. For many conservatives, this story represents exactly the kind of government-adjacent institutional excess that demands accountability, and the outcome at Ridglan offers a rare, tangible win for common-sense animal welfare without government overreach driving the solution.