Hundreds of ‘treasured’ canine rescued from animal testing lab after mass protests
In ‘one of the largest transfers’ of animals, 300 beagles have been freed from an animal testing facility accused of being responsible for numerous animal welfare violations
The rescue has been called ‘one of the largest transfers’ of animals ever(Image: Big Dog Ranch Rescue/Facebook)
Hundreds of dogs have been rescued from an animal research lab after activists attempted to save the pups last month.
The 300 beagles were sent to Big Dog Rescue in Florida from Ridglan Farms, a lab which breeds dogs and specialises in veterinary medicine testing and illness research. The move came after a series of protests hit the research facility after a judge found probable cause of animal cruelty occurring in the lab, back in 2025.
The ruling came after inspectors discovered more than 300 alleged animal welfare violations at the facility. Some of the many alleged violations included animals being left with untreated injuries post-surgery and pooches going under the knife without anaesthesia.
In October 2025, Ridglan Farms made an agreement to forfeit its breeding licence by July 1, 2026. Earlier this year, in April, outraged animal rights protesters descended upon the research lab, ending in a standoff and police arresting multiple protesters.
After the unrest, the rescue team and the Centre for a Humane Economy reached an agreement with the animal centre, resulting in more than 1,000 beagles being rescued from the lab.
In a statement released on Facebook, the rescue centre said: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who showed up in the late and early hours to welcome our transport buses and vans and help receive these dogs with such care and compassion.
“Because of your prayers and generous donations, we have been able to transport 300 of these precious beagles here to begin their new journey in life.
“While this is a major milestone, the road ahead is still a long one.”
The research lab has fired back against allegations of abuse and stated: “’The dogs at Ridglan Farms are happy, healthy and well cared for. Publicly available USDA documentation shows this has been the case for many years.
“As the dogs sold this week leave our veterinary research facility, we hope they will continue to live happy lives in their new adopted homes.”
The president of the Center for a Humane Economy, Wayne Pacelle, has commended workers and dubbed the arrangement “one of the largest transfers” ever. Beagle Freedom Project has stated the dog breed is the top choice for animal testing programs due to the dogs’ friendly and docile nature.
The organisation claimed: “The same characteristics that make them incredible companions and family members, are why they are exploited by the animal testing industry.”
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