Latest news with #Ridglan
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Ridglan Farms sues; accuses nonprofit of trying to destroy business
The Brief Ridglan Farms is suing Dane4Dogs and its co-founders, alleging the nonprofit is trying to destroy its business. The lawsuit claims the activist group's actions go beyond protest, citing complaints filed with state and federal agencies and a letter to Ridglan Farms' customers. The lawsuit accuses a former employee of lying about surgeries performed at Ridglan Farms without anesthesia, though Ridglan's lead veterinarian is under investigation for allowing non-veterinarians to perform them. MADISON, Wis. - A Wisconsin company that sells beagle puppies for scientific experiments is fighting back against animal rights activists. Ridglan Farms filed a lawsuit in Dane County Circuit Court accusing Dane4Dogs and its co-founders of engaging in a campaign to "destroy Ridglan Farms' business." What we know The lawsuit cites a series of complaints Dane4Dogs has filed with state and federal agencies, accusing Ridglan of animal cruelty and mistreatment of animals. It also points to a letter the nonprofit activist group sent to some of the companies that purchase dogs from Ridglan Farms. The letter dated January 27, 2025, is addressed "To Whom It May Concern" and informs the recipient that Ridglan Farms "is under criminal investigation for animal cruelty." The letter goes on to say that Dane4Dogs "will be publishing a list of Ridglan Farms buyers" and that the recipient can be removed from that list by sending an "official statement of ending your relationship" with the dog breeder. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or AndroidThe lawsuit alleges that the letter amounts to "extortion." What they're saying Rebekah Robinsin, co-founder of Dane4Dogs declined FOX6 Investigators' request for an interview. Instead, she referred us to speak with Steffan Seitz, an attorney for the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, which represented Dane4Dogs in another case against Ridglan Farms. "I think the intent, transparently, is just to scare activists," said Seitz, who defended the letter to customers. "The fact that you are asking customers to do the right thing is absolutely protected by the 1st amendment." Seitz said Dane4Dogs was simply engaging in "civic protest" and doing "good journalism" by contacting customers to ensure they were still actively purchasing dogs from Ridglan Farms before publishing their names on a list. The other side The lawsuit also accuses Dane4Dogs of "encouraging" individuals to apply for jobs at Ridglan Farms to get an "inside perspective." One such employee, it says, was Scott Gilbertson who worked for Ridglan Farms for about a month in 2022. Last fall, Gilbertson testified against Ridglan Farms in a public hearing in which Dane4Dogs was seeking to have a Special Prosecutor appointed to consider criminal charges against the breeder. Ridglan says Gilbertson gave "false testimony" about eye surgeries he witnessed that the company says he would not have been part of if he only worked there for such a short time. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News The so-called "cherry eye" surgeries are the subject of a pending disciplinary case against Dr. Richard Van Domelen, Ridglan's lead veterinarian. Six current and two former employees, including Gilbertson, told state investigators they assisted in the medical procedures that were performed by non-veterinarians. The case before the Wisconsin Veterinary Examining Board calls such delegation a "violation" of state veterinary practice, but the board has yet to make a determination. Ridglan says those non-veterinarians were "trained" by licensed vets who are allowed to "delegate" certain "minor procedures" to non-vets, because they are a licensed research facility. Ridglan argues that federal law allows research facilities to decide if delegating minor procedures is acceptable. Ridglan also points to a January 2025 USDA inspection which found "no evidence" of any violations related to cherry eye surgeries. The Source For this story, FOX6 Investigators relied on a 14-page civil complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court, Case Number 2025CV1157, disciplinary records from the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, a letter from Dane4Dogs to Ridglan customers (provided to FOX6 by Ridglan's attorney), along with email communications and interviews with representatives of both Ridglan Farms and Dane4Dogs.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Buyers list leaked; Wisconsin puppy mill customer defends research
The Brief A whistle-blower with access to an internal Ridglan Farms database has given FOX6 Investigators a list of customers who bought beagle puppies in 2019 and 2020. FOX6 Investigators are releasing the names of the ten largest customers (by number of dogs purchased). The founder of East Tennessee Clinical Research calls himself a "loyal" Ridglan Farms customer and defends the embattled breeder's practice of performing "cherry eye" surgeries on dogs with little or no anesthetic. BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. - Every year, Ridglan Farms in Wisconsin sells more than 3,000 beagle puppies bred for scientific research. Now, we know who is buying them. What we know An anonymous source provided FOX6 Investigators with a complete list of customers who purchased beagle puppies in 2019 and 2020. The purchases are perfectly legal, but public scrutiny of what happens to the dogs at Ridglan Farms has increased since a Dane County judge appointed a special prosecutor earlier this year to investigate animal cruelty charges. Former employees testified last fall that dogs are kept in cages 24 hours a day with minimal human contact and that non-veterinarians are directed to perform painful, but routine surgical procedures on the animals without anesthesia. According to the data provided to FOX6 (which Ridglan Farms neither confirmed nor asked us to correct), the number one buyer over that two-year period was NASCO, a biological supply company for educators based in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. NASCO bought 1,736 Ridglan dogs during that time, but it's not clear how they are using the animals or what happens when they are finished. Number two was TRS Labs, a research and development laboratory in Athens, Georgia. The third-largest customer was the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. FOX6 Investigators previously reported on IIT's use of 38 Ridglan beagles for a Covid-19 drug toxicity experiment. All 38 dogs were killed on the 15th day of testing so their organs could be harvested for further testing. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android FOX6 Investigators contacted the 10 largest companies on the buyers list, but 9 of them did not respond to our request for comment. Labcorp (previously known as Covance) in Madison, Wisconsin, did respond to an earlier request for comment after FOX6 Investigators found USDA records showing it uses more dogs for laboratory experiments (2,758 in 2023) than any other lab in Wisconsin. A company spokesperson wrote at the time that "Labcorp firmly believes the proper care of all research animals is fundamental to ethical scientific research and the ability to develop safe and effective new medicines that improve health and improves lives." What they're saying The one company that did respond was East Tennessee Clinical Research, a private laboratory on a remote farm west of Knoxville. The company's founder, Dr. Craig Reinemeyer, is a veterinarian and serves as the laboratory's scientific officer. He said he decided to speak up because public perception of animal research is tainted. "They think we're just the wild, wild west. We're out here doing whatever we want to do. And they don't realize how heavily regulated this industry is," Reinemeyer said. Reinemeyer said ETCR conducts experiments on dogs to test both therapeutics intended for other dogs and for drugs meant to eventually be used on humans. The Food and Drug Administration requires that all experimental drugs be proven safe and effective before human trials can begin. He said they're just following the rules and he bristles at the suggestion that what they do constitutes "abuse" or "torture," as some critics claim."The implication is that I, as a veterinarian, have completely abandoned my principles. That I am only interested in profit," Reinemeyer said. "And that I am willing to stick red-hot needles in puppies' eyeballs if somebody will pay me enough money. And that ain't the case." SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Reinemeyer said beagles make the best research animals not just because of their docile temperament, but also because of their ability to withstand life in a cage. "Beagles tolerate confinement," Reinemeyer said. In March, Reinemeyer wrote a two-page letter to the Wisconsin Veterinary Examining Board in defense of Dr. Richard Van Domelen, Ridglan Farms' lead veterinarian. In the letter, he wrote that he was a "loyal" customer of Ridglan. He said he visited the facility in 2024 and saw an employee playing with beagle puppies. He learned the employee's full-time job was socializing the animals. Finally, he told the board he did not think the cherry eye surgeries that are the subject of a criminal investigation constitute "animal cruelty." The other side The criminal investigation into Ridglan Farms was prompted by a complaint filed by an animal rights group called Dane4Dogs. "I think it's odd that he would want to announce to the world just how low his standards are," said Rebekah Robinson, Dane4Dogs president. Robinson said beagles may tolerate cages better than other dog breeds by comparison, but that doesn't mean it's good for them. "Confinement is just cruelty to these animals," Robinson said. "These dogs are meant to be social animals. They are bred specifically for their attachment to humans." Robinson also challenged the notion that animal research is "heavily regulated." Federal law requires animal research labs to set up internal committees known as Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees. They are designed to provide oversight that ensures animal testing is safe, humane and minimizes animal discomfort and pain. Robinson said those committees are commonly staffed by insiders with a vested interest in the research moving forward. At ETCR, the principal investigator conducting the research is Craig Reinemeyer, while the chair of the IACUC is Bree Reinemeyer - his daughter. "It's the fox guarding the henhouse," Robinson said. "They are writing their own regulations." Reinemeyer insists the IACUC is not a rubber stamp. "They ask us hard questions," Reinemeyer said. Dig deeper In 2022, Congress passed (and President Biden signed into law) the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, which allows for non-animal alternative methods to be used to prove the safety and efficacy of a drug. That means animal testing is technically not required to get an experimental drug into clinical trials. However, FDA has yet to establish rules and regulations to implement the new law. "I actually see the FDA as being the root of the problem," said Amy Van Aartsen, founder of The Marty Project, which advocates for "novel alternative methods" like using 3-dimentional models that mimic human organs. She said traditional research labs have been resistant to the idea of change. "And I would argue if they're not actively, you know, doing things to be part of the solution. They are part of the problem," Van Aartsen said. Eventually, Van Aartsen said, artificial intelligence will allow for sophisticated computer models that will be far more reliable than dogs or other animals at predicting how a drug will work in humans. But Reinemeyer said he believes non-animal testing methods are still a long way off. "[Some say] a decade away. I think, a generation," Reinemeyer said. What's next Multiple investigations into possible animal mistreatment at Ridglan Farms remain ongoing. La Crosse County DA Tim Gruenke is serving as a special prosecutor to determine if criminal charges should be filed. The Wisconsin Veterinary Examining Board has agreed to allow Dr. Van Domelen to continue practicing while his disciplinary proceeding continues. That agreement is conditioned upon all surgeries at Ridglan being performed only by licensed vets using proper anesthesia. Finally, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is also investigating possible violations of animal welfare at Ridglan that were noted by inspectors in 2024. The Source FOX6 Investigators relied on data from an anonymous source at Ridglan Farms, congressional legislation, FDA regulations, public records from the Veterinary Examining Board, interviews with animal rights activists, animal researchers and email communications with an attorney for Ridglan Farms.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Wisconsin puppy mill beagles suffer for human drug research
The Brief More than 4,000 beagles are born every year at Ridglan Farms near Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin; most sold to laboratories. Records show 40 healthy Ridglan dogs were sickened or killed in tick vaccine research at the University of Missouri in 2023. 38 Ridglan beagles were euthanized after being forced to inhale an experimental COVID-19 drug at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago in 2020. What we know MOUNT HOREB, Wis. - More than 4,000 beagle puppies are born every year on a remote Wisconsin farm about 30 minutes west of Madison. Some of them never leave. Records provided to FOX6 Investigators by a Ridglan Farms whistleblower show nearly 7% of the puppies born each year (275 beagles) die while still at Ridglan. In 2020, an outbreak of parvovirus caused a dramatic spike in deaths – 522 in all (12.9% of births). More than 300 of those deaths were attributed to "enteritus," an inflammation of the small intestine caused by the virus. Experts say parvo spreads between infected dogs and by ingesting contaminated food or water. An attorney for Ridglan Farms said the outbreak was "contained." "These dogs are being tortured from the moment they're born," said Justin Goodman, Vice President of the White Coat Waste Project, a non-profit that opposes government funding of animal research. "They're born to die." Dig deeper Even for the dogs that make it out of Ridglan Farms, Goodman said the future is bleak. "People need to know they're footing the bill for this," Goodman said. Public records obtained by his organization show the National Institutes of Health paid for the University of Missouri to buy 40 dogs from Ridglan Farms in 2023. Researchers at Mizzou used the dogs to test the safety and efficacy of a vaccine for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever - a tick-borne disease that can be fatal to both dogs and humans. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android According to the study protocols, researchers shaved the beagles' fur to allow tick containment chambers to be glued directly to their skin. Those chambers were then filled with disease-ridden ticks that were allowed to "acquisition feed" on the dogs for several days. If the beagles tried to remove the chambers, researchers would stop them by placing an Elizabethan collar (commonly referred to as a 'cone of shame') around the neck. Some of the dogs at Mizzou received experimental vaccines to manage disease symptoms, but others in a control group were intentionally denied any form of treatment. Why you should care The USDA categorizes experiments by the level of pain experienced by the animals involved. Category A means no experiment was done. Category B involves no pain. Categories C and D involve increasing levels of pain or discomfort. And Category E involves tests that cause the most pain or distress and do not allow for any form of pain relief or symptom treatment. Six of the Ridglan dogs at Mizzou were classified in Category E. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News "So Ridglan is providing puppies for some of the most painful experimentation happening in this country," Goodman said. Dogs in the control group developed severe disease symptoms, but they weren't the only ones who suffered. In the end, 22 of the 40 dogs were sick enough that researchers decided the most "humane" thing to do was to have them euthanized. "This is torture," Goodman said. "And it should be prohibited whether it's happening in a laboratory or happening in someone's basement." What they're saying One University of Missouri spokesperson tells FOX6 "this research has important human and animal benefits." Another was quoted by the Columbia Daily Tribune lauding the "heroism" of the dogs who were tested and killed. "These dogs are not heroes," Goodman said. "They are victims." A pair of experiments (toxicity study; dosage study) at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago subjected 38 Ridglan beagles to forced inhalation of an experimental COVID-19 drug. The tests were intended to determine the maximum dose the dogs could withstand. After 15 days, all 38 dogs were euthanized. The principal investigator, David McCormick, said his research is intended to save human lives, and he called animal rights groups like the White Coat Waste Project "terrorists." "There's no terrorism happening here. It's documentation. It's a lot of research and investigating and reading and spreadsheets," said Rebekah Robinson, President of Dane4Dogs, an animal rights group fighting against research on beagles in Dane County, Wisconsin. Big picture view McCormick had agreed to do an on camera interview with FOX6 for this story, but declined after seeing Robinson appear on an episode of the FOX6 podcast, Open Record. "What would she prefer?" McCormick asked in an email. "Some dogs dying… or perhaps her mother or her sister or her daughter… from toxicity induced by an untested drug?" "That's such a false choice," Robinson said. "We don't have to choose between dogs and humans. There's modern technology out there that is readily available for use that should be used instead of dogs." McCormick said animal testing alternatives are not ready to replace the current system and won't be for another 10 to 20 years. "Maybe that's because we're still wasting 20 billion dollars a year on animal experimentation instead of investing that money in modern alternatives," Robinson said. Goodman is urging the Trump administration to cut funding for animal research and reinvest it in non-animal alternatives. In the meantime, Robinson is focused on trying to end the breeding of beagles at Ridglan Farms. "It is a tough fight," she said, "but the momentum is there. The general public does not want this to happen. They don't want dogs experimented on." What's next A special prosecutor appointed by a Dane County judge is still considering whether to file criminal charges against Ridglan Farms. LaCrosse County DA Tim Gruenke said he is reviewing existing records and cannot put a timeline on his decision. Meanwhile, investigations by the Wisconsin Veterinary Examining Board and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection are ongoing. Complete email statement submitted by: Ridglan Farms - Attorney on behalf of Ridglan University of Missouri (#1) - Travis Zimpfer University of Missouri (#2) - Travis Zimpfer Illinois Institute of Technology - Dr. David McCormick
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Yahoo
Blind beagle 'rescued' from puppy mill thrives 8 years later
The Brief In April 2017, activists from Direct Action Everywhere entered Ridglan Farms and removed three dogs from their cages. The dogs had no names; instead, Ridglan identified them by tattooing serial numbers onto their bodies. Eight years later, FOX6 News tracked down 'Julie' – one of the dogs known at Ridglan as DSP-6. MADISON, Wis. - When Wayne Hsiung and two of his colleagues from Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) entered Ridglan Farms in the middle of the night in 2017, their mission was to document everything in pictures and video. But that's not all. They removed three beagle puppies from stacked metal cages and - as alarms blared throughout the building - they rushed them into the darkness and fled. What we know Video published by DxE shows long rows of beagles barking and frantically clawing at their cages as Hsiung zeroes in on a single puppy spinning endlessly inside a space totaling 8 square feet. Hsiung says the non-stop spinning is a classic sign of an animal suffering distress from the psychological torment of isolation. "She's going around and around in circles because she has nothing to do all day," he said. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android As the activists removed the spinning beagle from her cage, alarms sounded. They ran down a long corridor and slipped out a door into the dark night. According to court records, as the activists hid in the dark with the beagles they'd taken, Ridglan's lead veterinarian came rushing to the facility and found an open door, but did not immediately notice anything else amiss. He left and didn't return. "It was an intense moment," Hsiung said. What we don't know Ridglan Farms breeds beagle puppies for scientific research. Some are sold to private or public laboratories. Others undergo experiments right at Ridglan. It's not clear what Ridglan planned to do with the spinning beagle Hsiung whisked away or where she was headed next. At the time, she had no name - just a serial number tattooed inside her ear - DSP-6. Hsiung and his colleagues named her Julie. What they're saying In the first few days outside the breeding barn, Julie struggled to walk. It was her first time feeling grass and hardwood floors. Eventually, Hsiung asked a fellow animal rights activist if she could take in a beagle puppy with a challenging background. Diana Navon agreed. "She was nervous and scared of everything," Navon said. "She was super, super thin." Eight years later, Julie lounges in soft, fluffy dog beds - a contrast to the grated metal cages at Riglan. She can run and play. And anytime Hsiung comes for a visit, the same thing happens. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News "She goes through the house screeching with joy and happiness," Navon said. Video she captured of a recent visit shows Julie spinning and howling as she realizes "Uncle Wayne" has come to see her. "I've never seen anything like it," Navon said. "She doesn't even do that for me." What's next After eight years helping Julie overcome past trauma, Navon says she's determined to help with three-thousand other would-be Julies still kept in cages there. She launched the Better Science Campaign to spread the word about alternatives to animal testing, such as organ-as-a-chip technology that uses microchips to mimic human organs for research. In the meantime, she's focused on giving Julie a quite, happy home. "She's leading a pretty good life. You know, her needs are being met. And I wish that for all the dogs from Ridglan."
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dogs of science; Wisconsin puppy mill could face criminal charges
The Brief Ridglan Farms west of Madison faces multiple investigations for alleged mistreatment of animals and violations of professional veterinary practice. Founded in 1966, it is the second-largest operation in the United States that breeds beagle puppies for scientific research. Former employees testified about performing painful surgeries without anesthesia, prompting a Dane County judge to appoint a special prosecutor. MADISON, Wis. - A factory farm west of Madison that breeds beagle puppies for use in scientific experiments is facing both criminal and disciplinary investigations for mistreatment of animals. Ridglan Farms houses more than 3,200 dogs whose only purpose is to be used in - or sold for - scientific experiments. In February, a Dane County judge appointed La Crosse County prosecutor Tim Gruenke to consider possible criminal charges. Last week, the Wisconsin veterinary examining board voted to place restrictions on surgical procedures while it considers a possible license suspension for Dr. Richard Van Domelen, Ridglan's lead veterinarian. The backstory Ridglan Farms was founded in 1966 and for nearly 60 years it has engaged in the controversial field of breeding beagles for animal research. The factory farm is located in a remote area of western Dane County and consists of a series of large agricultural buildings surrounded by barbed wire fencing. In 2017, animal rights activists working for Direct Action Everywhere entered the facility in the middle of the night on a mission to draw attention to what was happening inside. Videos they recorded show rows upon rows of stacked metal cages filled with 1-2 beagles each inside a long, windowless metal shed. The activists removed three beagles from their cages and left, then published the evidence of what they'd done. One of the activists – former Northwestern University law professor Wayne Hsiung – called the operation an "open rescue." FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android "If the only way we can get any attention on what's happening inside Ridglan Farms is for them to prosecute us, then we have to do that," Hsiung said. Timeline In 2021, four years after the activists removed the dogs, the Dane County DA filed criminal charges against Hsiung and two others for burglary and theft. The case was set for trial on March 22, 2024. But just two weeks before it started, Ridglan Farms asked the DA to drop the charges, fearing public backlash after the company received what it described as "death threats." Hsiung and his colleagues objected to their own charges being dismissed. On April 15, 2024, he and a group called Dane4Dogs turned the tables. They filed a petition for the appointment of a special prosecutor to charge Ridglan Farms with mistreatment of animals. In October 2024, former employees of Ridglan testified to participating in painful and bloody surgical procedures to remove dogs' swollen eye glands. They had no veterinary license and testified that they used no anesthesia, but conducted the procedures at the direction of Dr. Van Domelen. Big picture view Beagles have been popular subjects for scientific research since the 1950s when the US Atomic Energy Commission subjected them to radiation exposure. A book published in 1970 described beagles as particularly well-suited for experiments due to their "medium size," manageable length of hair, and their "even temperament." SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News"They're docile. They're small. And they're gentle," Hsiung said. Fifty years later, they are still bred and sold for laboratory testing. By the numbers According to the USDA, more than 28,000 animals are housed in laboratories across Wisconsin. More than 3,600 of them, or 13%, are dogs. The most common research animals are non-human primates (monkeys) and rabbits. That does not include mice, rats and fish, which USDA does not track. Of the 3,600 research dogs in Wisconsin, approximately 3% are involved in testing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison Area Technical College and SPF North America. Twenty-one percent are experimented on at Ridglan (in addition to thousands bred and held for sale). By far, most – more than 75% – are housed at Labcorp, a private drug development laboratory in Madison. It tells FOX6 Investigators its treatment of dogs is "ethical" and leads to the development of "safe and effective new medicines." The other side Supporters say a long list of medical advancements can be traced to animal research. "These therapies that come out of this research not only go on to benefit the dogs themselves, but also humans," said Naomi Charlambakis with Americans for Medical Progress, which is defending the scientific community against calls for funding cuts to animal-based studies. Charlambakis said insulin is just one example of a human therapy that started with research in dogs, whose bodies she said have great similarities to that of humans. "It really helps researchers understand how a disease operates, or you know, how basic biological processes work," Charlambakis said. Push for Legislation The movement to eliminate animal testing is bringing together an unusual alliance – left-leaning animal rights groups and right-leaning fiscal conservatives who want to cut funding for science. "Over $20 billion a year of taxpayers' money is still wasted annually on ineffective and inhumane tests on puppies, kittens and other animals," said Justin Goodman, senior Vice President of the White Coat Waste Project, which was founded by conservative political consultant Anthony Bellotti. "Animals don't care who you vote for," Goodman said. "They just want to stop being tortured in laboratories." In 2021, White Coat Waste Project used records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act to tie controversial overseas experiments on beagles to funding from the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease, led at the time by Dr. Anthony Fauci. The research in Tunisia involved exposing healthy beagles to diseased sand flies to test a possible treatment that could protect both dogs and humans. Many of the dogs involved in the experiment were later euthanized due to severe illness. "Especially with the advent of DOGE and the new administration coming in and looking for ways to cut, slashing spending that hurts puppies and kittens is something that can unite everyone," Goodman said. What's next Amy Van Aartsen is among a chorus of voices calling for the closure of Ridglan Farms. She is both a beagle lover and a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While Van Aartsen does not speak for the university, she said newer technology – including microchips that mimic human organs – could eliminate the need for animal research in the future. In the meantime, she is focused on freeing more than three thousand beagles from Ridglan Farms – dogs that remind her of her own beagle at home. "I see my Maggie," Van Aartsen said. "I see that could have been her." La Crosse County Prosecutor Tim Gruenke said he is reviewing documents in the case, but cannot set a timeline for making a charging decision. The Veterinary Examining Board voted not to immediately suspend Dr. Van Domelen's license, as requested by a board investigator. Instead, the board agreed to a stipulation that as the disciplinary case proceeds, all surgeries at Ridglan Farms will be performed only by licensed veterinarians using proper anesthesia. The Source For this investigation, we relied upon a variety of sources, including data reported annually to the USDA Animal and Plant Inspection Service; FOIA records of laboratory experiments provided by White Coat Waste Project; video inside Ridglan Farms courtesy of Wayne Hsiung of The Simple Heart (formerly of Direct Action Everywhere); Dane County court filings for 2021CF1838 and 2024JD0001; audio recordings of a December meeting between Ridglan Farms and the Wisconsin Department of Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP); DATCP and USDA inspection records of Ridglan Farms; disciplinary records from the Wisconsin Veterinary Examining Board; archival newspaper clippings of research on beagles; and interviews with a variety of researchers and animal activists.
