The Brief
Public records reveal who is still buying beagles from Ridglan Farms.
The Wisconsin breeder has sold nearly 7,000 dogs for scientific experiments since '22.
The special prosecutor appointed to consider animal cruelty charges said his investigation is ongoing.
MILWAUKEE - A Wisconsin breeder has sold nearly 7,000 dogs for scientific experiments since 2022. But there are now signs demand could be slowing, and public records reveal who is still buying beagles from Ridglan Farms.
Breeding and selling
The backstory
For more than 60 years, Ridglan Farms has been breeding and selling beagle puppies to pharmaceutical companies, contract research labs, public and private universities, and non-profit organizations. Most of that business has been conducted out of public view, until now.
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"The demand is what drives this," said Lindsey Soffes with Rise for Animals.
Rise for Animals aims to end animal experimentation. This week, the nonprofit published data from hundreds of public records that document the shipment of beagles from Ridglan Farms to laboratories in 20 states.
"We were also very interested to see what it looks like today, given what FOX6 reported on previously," Soffes said.
Top buyers
By the numbers
In April, FOX6 Investigators published a list of the top 10 Ridglan Farms customers, but that was based on 5-year-old data. The new records show sales from 2022 through this June.
Soffes said Rise for Animals' goal is to take the story beyond the breeder.
"We need to consider what Ridglan Farms is doing, but we also need to consider the larger network that Ridglan Farms is serving, and that is keeping Ridglan Farms in business," she said.
Since 2022, the top buyers of Ridglan Farms beagles are:
TSS Labs near Atlanta: 996
Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago: 841
Merck Animal Health in Nebraska: 741
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Other buyers include Labcorp in Madison (170) and the University of Wisconsin (19). And while it's not clear how many sales within Wisconsin are missing from the data, interstate sales show a steady decline in beagle shipments.
"Are we seeing a shift in supplier? Are folks feeling pressure to not buy from Ridglan and buy from someone else?" said Soffes. "Or are we seeing a downward trend in the demand for dogs in this industry, and specifically from Ridglan?"
Science or cruelty?
What they're saying
Soffes insists Rise for Animals' is not public shame but public information, pulling back the curtain on those who profit from the dogs of science.
"If they believe truly that what they are doing is correct is right and is ethical, then they should have no problem admitting to what they do, and the buyers should have no problem saying, 'yeah, we're customers,'" she said.
Ridglan Farms did not respond to FOX6 Investigators' request for comment on Friday. The special prosecutor appointed to consider animal cruelty charges against Ridglan Farms said his investigation is ongoing.
The Source
FOX6 Investigators gathered information from Rise for Animals interviews and public records, as well as prior coverage of the instigation into Ridglan Farms. FOX6 also reached out to the breeder for comment.
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