PAWS Chicago Welcomes 25 Beagles Rescued From Ridglan Farms In Blue Mounds, Wisconsin

A nationwide rescue effort accelerated after weeks of protests over the treatment of beagles at Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, culminating in the removal of dogs from the facility and their transfer to animal organizations across the country.

“A better life is in sight for dozens of dogs”

CBS News

CBS News said PAWS Chicago welcomed 25 beagles from a “controversial Wisconsin research breeder,” describing how “more than a thousand dogs were rescued from Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, after weeks of protests over their treatment of the dogs.”

CBS News

WGN-TV reported that the 25 beagles arrived at PAWS Chicago on Saturday after “spent their entire lives in cages at a research and breeding facility in Wisconsin,” and it tied the arrival to a broader effort that “freed 1,500 dogs from Ridglan Farms.”

The Guardian described the first beagles removed from the Wisconsin facility as appearing to understand their situation quickly, with Lauree Simmons saying, “They started within an hour or so coming up to us, wanting attention.”

The Guardian also placed the protests in a specific timeline, saying police used teargas and pepper spray to repel activists trying to take beagles from the facility “last month,” and that protesters broke into the facility in March and took 30 dogs.

In Chicago, PAWS Chicago chief program officer Celene Mielcarek framed the immediate transition for the animals, saying, “These beagles have lived their lives in isolation. They've lived their lives in cages inside.”

Together, the accounts show protests in Wisconsin translating into concrete movement of animals to shelters and adoption pipelines, starting with the first group of 25 arriving in Chicago.

The protests around Ridglan Farms escalated into direct confrontations between activists and police, with multiple outlets describing the use of force and the legal aftermath.

WGN-TV said “Outside, protesters clashed with police, with some being tear gassed and pepper sprayed,” and it added that “Last month, activists broke into the property in an attempt to rescue the dogs.”

The Guardian

The Guardian provided additional detail about the April disturbance, saying “About 1,000 activists from across the country came to Ridglan Farms in the rural village of Blue Mounds, about 25 miles (40km) south-west of Madison, on 18 April in an attempt to take the beagles,” and that they were “met by police who used teargas, rubber bullets and pepper spray.”

It further reported that “The Dane county sheriff’s department said 29 people were arrested and five face felony burglary charges.”

The Guardian also described a separate earlier break-in, stating that “Protesters also broke into the facility in March and took 30 dogs,” and it said “Sixty-three people were referred by the sheriff’s department to the district attorney for potential charges related to that break-in.”

In Wisconsin, the conflict was not only physical but also procedural: the Guardian said “Activists have filed a federal lawsuit in Wisconsin alleging that police used unnecessary force.”

Amid the confrontation, the Guardian described negotiations that produced a purchase agreement, saying Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy “negotiated a confidential agreement to purchase the 1,500 dogs for an undisclosed price from Ridglan Farms.”

WGN-TV echoed the resolution in business terms, reporting that “Eventually, Ridglan Farms agreed to sell 1,500 of its 2,000 dogs,” tying the end of the standoff to a sale of most of the animals at the facility.

As the first beagles were moved out of Ridglan Farms, rescuers and animal advocates described both the animals’ immediate behavior and the broader meaning of the protests.

“CHICAGO (WGN) — 25 beagles who have spent their entire lives in cages at a research and breeding facility in Wisconsin arrived at PAWS Chicago on Saturday”

WGN-TV

The Guardian quoted Lauree Simmons, president and founder of Big Dog Ranch Rescue, saying, “They started within an hour or so coming up to us, wanting attention,” and she added, “Every single one of them are super sweet.”

Simmons also offered a longer view of the transition, telling readers that her group was “working with partners across the country to find homes for 1,000 of the dogs,” while the Center for a Humane Economy would take “the rest.”

In Chicago, Celene Mielcarek, PAWS Chicago chief program officer, described the care plan for the 25 beagles, saying, “We're going to make sure that they are healthy,” and she said, “They're each going to get tucked in by a volunteer into warm bedding.”

She also described the first evening routine, saying, “They're each going to get a yummy dinner tonight,” and she explained that the dogs would be sent to “experienced foster homes” to help them learn “human connection.”

On the protest side, the Guardian quoted Ridglan Farms’ response to the April attempt, saying the company described those who tried to break in as “a “violent mob” who launched “an assault on a federally licensed research facility”.”

The Guardian also included a legal and enforcement voice through the sheriff’s department, reporting that “The Dane county sheriff’s department said 29 people were arrested and five face felony burglary charges.”

Finally, the Guardian quoted Simmons on why beagles were targeted for testing, stating, “Beagles are just so trusting and docile and calm and forgiving,” and she argued, “This is wrong. This needs to stop.”

Together, these voices show the protests producing both a contested narrative about the break-ins and a practical narrative about veterinary care, transport, and adoption readiness.

While the underlying events centered on Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, the outlets emphasized different aspects of the protests and their aftermath.

CBS News focused on the arrival and care of the dogs in Chicago, describing that PAWS Chicago “welcomed 25 beagles” and that the animals would “head to the PAWS Chicago Lincoln Park adoption center to meet their forever family,” while it quoted Celene Mielcarek explaining the dogs’ isolation and the plan for “warm bedding” and a “yummy dinner tonight.”

CBS News

WGN-TV similarly centered the Chicago arrival but foregrounded the animals’ condition, saying they arrived “still shaken and a little scared after everything they’ve been through,” and it connected the arrival to the earlier clashes by stating that “Outside, protesters clashed with police, with some being tear gassed and pepper sprayed.”

The Guardian, by contrast, devoted substantial space to the protest timeline and legal consequences, including the April date “18 April,” the geographic reference “about 25 miles (40km) south-west of Madison,” and the enforcement details that “29 people were arrested and five face felony burglary charges.”

The Guardian also framed the conflict through negotiation and animal logistics, describing a “confidential agreement” to purchase “the 1,500 dogs” and stating that “The first 300 dogs were taken from Ridglan on Friday, with more scheduled for removal over the next week.”

It further included the earlier March break-in, saying “Protesters also broke into the facility in March and took 30 dogs,” and it reported that “Sixty-three people were referred by the sheriff’s department to the district attorney.”

Even when discussing the same rescue outcome, the outlets differed in how they described the scale and the immediate next steps, with CBS News and WGN-TV emphasizing the 25 beagles arriving in Chicago, and The Guardian emphasizing the broader 1,500-dog purchase and the staging area where dogs were “vaccinated, microchipped, spayed or neutered.”

Across the accounts, the protests remain the catalyst, but each outlet’s narrative lens shapes what readers see first: care in Chicago, clashes and arrests in Wisconsin, and the operational mechanics of moving thousands of animals.

The sources describe a continuing chain of custody and care that extends beyond the initial protest-driven removals, with vaccination, microchipping, and adoption screening forming the next phase.

“The first beagles removed from a Wisconsin dog breeding and research facility that was the site of recent protests seemed to know right away that they were safe”

The Guardian

The Guardian said the animal groups “have set up a staging area with play yards in Wisconsin, where the dogs are being vaccinated, microchipped, spayed or neutered and prepared for transport,” and it added that “Big Dog Ranch Rescue has already started moving dogs to its location in western Palm Beach county, Florida.”

The Guardian

It also described how the removal process would continue, stating that “The first 300 dogs were taken from Ridglan on Friday, with more scheduled for removal over the next week,” and it said Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy were dividing responsibility for finding homes for “1,000 of the dogs” and “the rest.”

In Chicago, CBS News said the beagles would be “sent to experienced foster homes” and that “Once the beagles are ready, they'll head to the PAWS Chicago Lincoln Park adoption center to meet their forever family,” while WGN-TV said the dogs would be ready for “adoption and a chance at a new life.”

WGN-TV also described the immediate needs of the animals on arrival, saying “each beagle will get something many of them have never had: a name, a warm bed and a good meal.”

The Guardian emphasized that adoption readiness would take time because the organizations were screening potential adopters and moving dogs through shelters, stating that Simmons said it “might take some time before the hounds are ready for their new homes as the organization screens potential dog parents.”

It also reported that Simmons said her group had received “more than 700 adoption applications,” indicating demand for the animals after the protests.

Even as the dogs move toward adoption, the protest story remains tied to ongoing legal and regulatory developments, with the Guardian reporting that Ridglan Farms agreed in October to give up its state breeding license as of “1 July” as part of a deal to avoid prosecution on felony animal mistreatment charges.

The Guardian also said a special prosecutor determined that Ridglan Farms was performing eye procedures that violated state veterinary standards, and it noted that Ridglan Farms denied mistreating animals while describing the break-in attempt as a “violent mob” assault.

Taken together, the next steps described by the outlets combine immediate animal welfare actions in Wisconsin and Florida with longer-term adoption planning in Chicago and continued legal/regulatory consequences tied to the protests.