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Republican Rep. Langworthy Demands HHS Defund Disgraced Ridglan Lab Puppy Mill as White Coat Waste Exposes $126M in Taxpayer-Funded ‘Maximum Pain’ Experiments

Last Updated: May 2, 2026By

This post was originally published on this site.

Rescue workers carry beagles in the rain, showcasing efforts to save animals from a challenging environment.

Republican Rep. Nick Langworthy has sent a letter to HHS and NIH demanding an immediate end to all federal funding for cruel experiments using beagles from Ridglan Farms, the notorious Wisconsin puppy mill that has been the epicenter of massive protests and criminal investigations.

Langworthy, who serves on the House committee overseeing the NIH, urged the agencies to cut off the money pipeline to Ridglan-sourced dogs.

Ridglan Farms, located in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, is one of America’s largest commercial beagle breeding facilities dedicated solely to selling dogs for research.

The operation has consistently housed approximately 2,000 beagles and bred and sold thousands more puppies annually for decades. The facility has faced years of allegations of animal mistreatment, including unauthorized veterinary procedures that violated state standards.

In October, Ridglan reached a settlement with prosecutors to avoid criminal charges by agreeing to surrender its Wisconsin state breeding license effective July 1, meaning it will no longer be able to breed or sell dogs to outside researchers after that date.

Public pressure to give up all the dogs exploded recently with multiple high-profile protests by the Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs.

In March, activists broke in and removed 30 beagles, leading to 27 arrests.

On April 18, roughly 1,000 protesters arrived at the breeding facility, attempting to break in and save the dogs. Police deployed pepper spray and rubber bullets.

Another protest occurred the next day at the Wisconsin State Capitol.

Earlier this week, Ridglan Farms reached a confidential agreement to transfer 1,500 of its roughly 2,000 beagles to rescue organizations.

Big Dog Ranch Rescue will take approximately 1,000 dogs, while the Center for a Humane Economy, in partnership with Beagle Freedom Project, Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project, and local humane societies, will handle 500.

The dogs will receive medical care, socialization, and eventual adoption into loving homes across the country.

Lara Trump has personally been advocating for their release.

However, despite NIH leadership’s public promises to phase out dog and cat testing, with Deputy Director and “animal testing czar” Nicole Kleinstreuer calling it “unconscionable” in a podcast last year, taxpayer watchdog White Coat Waste Project has documented over $126 million in new taxpayer funding under the current administration for experiments using Ridglan beagles and other cats and dogs, according to a report from Washington City Paper.

Key examples include:

  • University of Missouri labs are conducting “maximum pain” (USDA Category E) tick experiments: gluing disease-carrying tick capsules onto shaved beagle skin, infecting them with deadly pathogens such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, often with minimal or no pain relief.
  • Muscular dystrophy studies breeding and crippling Ridglan dogs.
  • A new $2 million two-year grant in July 2025 to a Big Pharma lab for drug tests on 57 Ridglan beagles.

WCW first contacted RFK Jr.’s team more than a year ago and offered to rehome dogs at no cost to taxpayers, but grants were extended through 2029 and 2030, with fresh funding issued as recently as last month.

In the letter to HHS and NIH, Langworthy wrote:

I write to commend your leadership and continued efforts to reduce and ultimately eliminate unnecessary animal testing within federally funded research. The progress made under the Trump Administration towards modernizing biomedical research and limiting reliance on animal models reflects an important and humane shift in federal policy, and it is something almost all Americans can agree upon.

At the same time, I urge you to take further action by ending any National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding streams that support research involving dogs sourced from Ridglan Farms, the large-scale beagle breeding and research facility in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin.

Ridglan Farms consistently houses approximately 2,000 beagles, bred solely for the purpose of experimentation, and has been the subject of sustained public concern and protest. Investigations and legal proceedings have resulted in the facility agreeing to surrender its state breeding license by July 1, 2026, following allegations that included unauthorized veterinary procedures on animals.

This issue is not about opposing scientific progress; it is about ensuring that federally funded research reflects both ethical standards and scientific advancement. Increasingly, experts, including yourselves, have questioned the necessity and reliability of animal models, particularly when modern alternatives can provide more accurate and humane results.

Langworthy also requested the agencies:

  • Provide a detailed list of active NIH-funded grants and contracts involving dogs sourced from Ridglan Farms and other commercial dog breeders
  • Immediately suspend funding for any projects that rely on Ridglan beagles
  • Develop a clear timeline for phasing out all federal support for invasive research that uses dog and cats bred for experimentation and euthanasia.

Anthony Bellotti, president and founder of White Coat Waste, told The Gateway Pundit:

“We’re grateful to Congressman Nick Langworthy for joining White Coat Waste in urging RFK Jr. and the NIH to finally cut funding for Fauci’s barbaric, maximum pain tick experiments on Ridglan beagles—and the other university and Big Pharma labs we’ve exposed that are still abusing dogs from the disgraced Wisconsin puppy mill and others with our tax dollars.

After White Coat Waste blew the whistle on bureaucrats renewing Fauci’s animal labs and doling out over $126 million in new taxpayer money to dog and cat experiments, establishment animal rights groups like PETA gave NIH a free pass, while HHS holdovers have tried to silence, censor, and blacklist us for exposing the truth.

Ridglan relies on taxpayer dollars to keep breeding and abusing beagles. The solution is simple: Stop the money. Stop the madness!”

This fight perfectly aligns with President Trump’s and RFK Jr.’s promises to slash wasteful spending and modernize biomedical research with humane, effective alternatives.

Taxpayers should not be forced to bankroll a disgraced puppy mill breeding dogs for painful, often unnecessary experiments, especially when better science exists.

The Gateway Pundit will continue to track responses from NIH and HHS, as well as any further developments regarding the remaining dogs or license surrender.

Defund the cruelty. Phase it out now.

The post Republican Rep. Langworthy Demands HHS Defund Disgraced Ridglan Lab Puppy Mill as White Coat Waste Exposes $126M in Taxpayer-Funded ‘Maximum Pain’ Experiments appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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