Scout – a beagle released from a controversial breeding and research facility in Wisconsin that made national headlines for being the site of animal rights protests – is now starting his new life with a family in Cary.

Scout was one of over 2,000 beagles once owned by the breeding and biomedical research facility Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, about 25 miles southwest of Madison. The facility gained national attention after animal welfare activists broke in and took an estimated 30 dogs in March.

According to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, a total of 70 charges were filed against 63 people in connection to that incident. One of those facing charges is lawyer and animal rights activist Wayne Hsiung; he’s pleaded not guilty.

The removal of the dogs by the activists occurred after a special prosecutor was appointed to investigate allegations of animal cruelty at the facility last year, according to the sheriff’s office. In October, Ridglan Farms entered a settlement agreement with authorities, avoiding criminal prosecution, according to officials. Ridglan Farms agreed to surrender its breeding license effective July 1. In return, operations as a USDA-licensed research facility were allowed to continue.

But the agreement didn’t stop activists. Approximately 1,000 people gathered outside the facility on April 18, including Paul Barthel of Animal Humane Advocacy of McHenry County. He had been following what was happening at Ridglan Farms, being an animal activist himself.

The Associated Press reported Ridglan Farms entered a confidential agreement with Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy last month, allowing those organizations to purchase 1,500 dogs for an undisclosed price. The first wave of beagles began leaving the facility on April 29.

Despite the deal with prosecutors, reports emerged in recent days of Ridglan Farms closing permanently. The facility is expected to close “near the end of the month” after the remaining 475 dogs are placed with rescue groups, according to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office.

Ridglan Farms called the break-in a “violent assault” in a statement posted on its website on April 20.

“Those individuals have spread false and highly misleading claims about our research and our deep commitment to animal welfare, fueling dangerous levels of anger and hatred,” officials wrote in the statement.

Representatives from Ridglan Farms and Big Dog Ranch Rescue could not be reached for comment.

A new life

Relocation efforts around the country have been in effect since the agreement was made to purchase the hundreds of dogs from the research facility. Thousands of people applied to adopt the dogs. In those thousands of applications, Barthel, a Cary resident, was chosen to adopt Scout, a male beagle approximately 2 years old.

“To have been chosen for this lucky boy, we are certainly lucky, for sure,” he said.

The adoption entailed an “extensive vetting process,” Barthel said. Earlier this month, he and his family took the eight-hour round-trip drive to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to pick up Scout and take him in as their newest family member.

“He’s very much a puppy,” he said. “He’s settling in now.”

Scout is taking time to get adjusted to his new life. He’s figuring out how to walk down stairs, and getting used to sounds he’s never heard before, like wind blowing through trees.

“These dogs never walked on grass before. They’ve never seen sunlight,” Barthel said. “They lived under fluorescent lighting their entire lives basically.”

Before, Scout was housed in wire cages. Numbered tattoos on his front and ear now serve as a permanent reminder of his past life.

Dogs that come from these situations often show “extreme fear responses, lack of house-training, and difficulty adapting to normal household environments,” Barthel said.

“These realities are important for the public to understand as they consider both adoption and the broader ethical conversation,” he said.

Beagles are a popular breed for testing because they are “more complacent” compared to other breeds, Barthel said.

Barthel officially founded the Animal Humane Advocacy of McHenry County in 2012. The animal welfare organization provides local support by hosting low-cost spay and neuter events; providing low-cost vaccination clinics; supporting local shelters, rescues and foster networks; and hosting food drives for local pantries and animal food distribution.

The nonprofit also uses its platform to advocate for legislation like spay and neutering laws and creating an animal abuse registry.

Barthel also points to other options in scientific research that companies can use instead of using beagles or other animals, like stem cell research and organoid systems.

“It’s not like it was decades ago where they have to test on animals,” he said.

The next facility that could be facing scrutiny from animal welfare activists is one in New York state that Barthel said reportedly houses many times as many beagles as the Wisconsin facility.

“That’s one of our next focuses, as well,” he said. “It’s not as isolated as you think.”

Locally, Animal Humane Advocacy of McHenry County will host its Dog Daze event on Aug. 29 at Kaper Park in Cary. More information on the organization and future events can be found at animalhumaneadvocacy.org.

“Every dog deserves sunlight, freedom, compassion and a chance to simply be a dog,” Barthel said. “Scout’s journey is one of survival, resilience and hope.”