Rise for Animals and our friends at The Marty Project have filed a formal complaint urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to investigate newly unearthed, troubling conduct by Ridglan Farms, Wisconsin’s massive dog breeding-and-research company (that’s already under a judge-mandated investigation into animal cruelty law violations). 

Here’s what’s going on now, and why we’re urging the USDA to take swift action:

Ridglan is licensed by the USDA both as a Class A dealer (breeder/seller) and a Class R research facility. Under federal law, these designations come with different responsibilities — and strict rules about how animals are categorized, tracked, and treated.

But at a recent public hearing, Ridglan’s lead veterinarian testified that every dog at the facility is considered a “research animal”, whether they’re actively involved in research or not.

That’s a problem. 

USDA records don’t support this sweeping claim. In fact, Ridglan has consistently reported that the vast majority of the dogs imprisoned there — more than 2,600 as of January — are housed under its breeder license, not its research registration. That matters because it suggests Ridglan may be misclassifying animals in order to:

• Avoid stricter oversight and reporting obligations;
• Shield itself from state animal cruelty laws; and
• Evade transparency and accountability. 

In the simplest terms: Ridglan may be abusing the system to keep thousands of dogs in the shadows.

That’s why we’ve called on the USDA to launch a full investigation that includes auditing Ridglan’s records, assessing compliance, and taking enforcement action if violations are found.

Facilities like Ridglan should not be allowed to hide behind loopholes and deceptive classifications to avoid oversight and escape responsibility. And the public deserves to know the truth. 

Animals deserve protection and rights under the law. And we won’t stop until the system restores justice for each and every one.  

👉 Read our full complaint to the USDA

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