Ridglan Farms, a beagle-breeding facility in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, is set to close permanently following a recent agreement with Big Dog Ranch Rescue, a Florida-based animal welfare organization. The closure marks the end of a contentious chapter for the farm, which has been the focus of years of protests by animal activists advocating for the release and adoption of the dogs rather than their sale to research institutions.

Big Dog Ranch Rescue announced on Monday that it had secured an arrangement to take custody of the remaining 475 beagles at the farm, beginning this week. The organization plans to distribute some dogs to other rescue groups, while others will be transported to its campuses in Florida and Alabama. There, the animals will be spayed, neutered, and prepared for adoption to new homes.

Earlier this year, in April, the rescue group acquired approximately 1,500 beagles from Ridglan Farms, which housed more than 2,000 dogs in total. The terms of the purchase were not disclosed. On Monday, about 200 of the remaining animals were moved from the premises as part of the transfer process.

Ridglan Farms operates roughly 25 miles southwest of Madison and has long been utilized for breeding dogs intended for research purposes. The farm became the center of heightened tensions following a series of protests. In March, activists forcibly entered the property and removed 30 beagles, an incident that led to multiple arrests. The unrest escalated in April when law enforcement deployed tear gas and pepper spray to disperse a large group of demonstrators attempting to seize more dogs from the facility.

Supporters of the farm argue that breeding beagles for research is a legitimate scientific practice, while animal welfare advocates have sought greater transparency and efforts to rehome the animals. The closure of Ridglan Farms and the transition of its dogs to rescue organizations represent a significant development in the ongoing debate over the treatment of animals in research settings.