Records show Ridglan beagles at UW-Madison were injected with blue dye, then euthanized and dissected

Newly disclosed records have put a new focus on the beagles used in research facilities. At UW-Madison, dogs were involved in 2023 experiments that included injections of blue dye before the animals were euthanized and dissected.

Those records, secured by the animal advocacy organization Rise for Animals and first reported by FOX6 News, intensify the continuing attention on Ridglan Farms and broader animal-welfare concerns.

What happened?

According to the Wausau Pilot & Review, two UW-Madison research projects approved to use beagles from Ridglan Farms are detailed in the records. FOX6 News has identified Ridglan as one of the country's two largest sources of beagles for medical research and drug testing.

Researchers used Abbott Laboratories' FreeStyle Libre device in one project to see whether it could give dependable blood-sugar readings in dogs while they were anesthetized. A separate project focused on how pain-relief injections traveled through the body as scientists worked on an anesthetic method for sterilization and other abdominal operations.

The records indicate that blue dye was administered to both sides of dogs that were already under general anesthesia for another surgery, allowing the team to trace the path of the injections. Afterward, the animals were euthanized and dissected to determine whether the dye had reached the intended areas.

In a later statement, UW-Madison said the method is now used by veterinarians around the country and that confirming it involved euthanizing six dogs, according to the Wausau Pilot & Review.

Why does it matter?

Together, the records deepen public unease over the treatment of animals bred for research, both before they reach universities and once they are there.

This year has already brought heavy scrutiny to Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, and the company later agreed to transfer most of its dogs to rescue organizations after two break-ins by activists.

Money for the second project came from the University of Wisconsin Foundation, the university's private fundraising arm.

The documents further indicate that UW-Madison received at least three shipments of beagles from Ridglan between 2022 and 2023. Ridglan facility manager Richard Van Domelen signed each certificate; his license was later suspended after authorities found he had authorized eye-gland removal operations on dogs without anesthesia, the Wausau Pilot & Review reported.

What are people saying?

Ahead of the records' release, UW-Madison stated that the studies were performed humanely and with the required federal and ethical approval.

In a letter to clients, UW-Madison veterinary school dean Jon Levine said the records "may be distressing."

Levine also said the university will no longer use donor money for research involving animals bred specifically for laboratory use unless the donor gives explicit approval.

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