Wisconsin legislators must back Beagle Freedom Bill | Opinion

This column was updated.

In Blue Mounds , approximately 2,000 beagle dogs and puppies remain confined at Ridglan Farms , stacked two-by-four in cages inside windowless sheds around the clock.

Forced to stand on wire flooring above their own waste, these dogs are denied even the most basic standards of humane care. They are bred repeatedly, and their puppies are sold for medical experimentation — where most will die. Medical experimentation on our companion animals is quickly phasing out across the country, and with strong bipartisan support. It is a stain on Wisconsin that we've allowed this facility to continue operating.

Video footage and testimony from former employees have documented ongoing abuse and profoundly inhumane living conditions at this facility. Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has cited Ridglan Farms for 311 violations, including animal cruelty; untrained staff performing surgery without anesthesia; dogs being thrown into cages while screaming; untreated wounds; early separation from mothers; and lifelong confinement on painful wire flooring without access to daylight.

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After years of bipartisan advocacy by animal lovers, advocates and legislators across the state — and following a court case and the involvement of a special prosecutor — Ridglan Farms agreed to relinquish its license to sell dogs by July 1, 2026 , in order to avoid criminal prosecution. Yet this decision offers no relief to the 2,200 dogs still trapped there. They continue being bred, sold for experiments, and are still suffering today.

Animals used in research deserve a fair chance at a new beginning. These dogs have never known a real home, a loving family, or the simple joy of running on grass. Yet under current Wisconsin law, research facilities are not required to make any meaningful effort to place dogs or cats into homes or rescue organizations once experiments end.

Wisconsin lags behind other states in animal protections

This stands in stark contrast to progress elsewhere. More than 15 states — including Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan — have enacted laws requiring research facilities to allow dogs to be adopted. Proposed legislation in Wisconsin (SB 414/AB 436) would establish a mandatory three-week adoption period, allowing dogs and cats to be transferred to qualified rescue organizations (already in place) or adopted directly, with fines of up to $5,000 for noncompliance.

There are two immediate actions that could help save these dogs. One is that the public and legislators demand that DATCP revoke Ridglan Farms license to breed (based on their abhorrent record) and allow the dogs to be re-homed.  It is within DATCP's power to take this immediate action.

Secondly, legislators must support the Beagle Freedom Bill (AB 436/SB414) .

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On Feb. 11, AB 436/SB414 was passed by the Assembly Committee on State Affairs. The Beagle Freedom Bill must be passed to achieve its important objective: to ensure protection for animals who have endured years of suffering. State legislators can provide a lifeline to Ridglan's beagles by ensuring that they are rehabilitated and adopted.

Volunteers stand ready to move dogs into loving homes

Wisconsin's humane community — including animal shelters, rescue groups, humane societies, and nonprofit welfare organizations — stands ready to help these dogs move from laboratory cages into loving homes.

I urge Milwaukee-area legislators to support this legislation and to call on DATCP to immediately take action to release these dogs and support the legislation.  With modern, humane scientific alternatives available and a capable rescue network waiting, there is no justification for allowing this suffering to continue. It is time for Wisconsin to end this outdated practice and give these dogs — America's most loyal companions — the second chance they deserve.

Lisa Castagnozzi is a board member of Free from Harm and an organizer of the Milwaukee Animal Advocacy Network .

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: It's a stain on WI that Ridglan Farms continues operating | Opinion