On April 30, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan from Wisconsin spoke at the House Appropriations Committee markup of the FY27 Agriculture funding bill in support of language he submitted to direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to review dog breeding facilities whose state level licenses have been relinquished, and to take action to rescind their equivalent Class A federal license if they no longer meet eligibility requirements.
Despite relinquishing their state level breeding license, Ridglan Farms – recently in the news because of its horrific conditions and work by animal activists to rescue more than 2,000 beagles — continues to hold a USDA Class A breeder license. This allows the facility to continue supplying animals for taxpayer-funded research purposes, including National Institutes of Health-funded labs.
Ridglan Farms is in Pocan’s district in Wisconsin.
Last year, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection cited Ridglan for 311 counts of mistreating dogs.
Pocan said the violations include significant deficiencies in veterinary care, sanitation, housing conditions and overall treatment of the animals. There were documented instances of stagnant waste and poor ventilation so severe that it made inspectors physically ill.
Multiple cages with rusted or broken wires caused cysts and infections, and dogs were often subjected to the removal of their vocal cords and, in certain instances, allegedly without anesthesia or pain management.
Following the investigation, the facility agreed to a settlement to surrender its state commercial dog breeding license by July 1st of this year.
Even though this facility was cited for hundreds of violations demonstrating systematic and ongoing animal mistreatment, this facility was allowed to maintain its USDA Class A breeder license.
“This amendment includes language that directs the USDA to review the federal licenses of breeders that have lost their equivalent state-level breeding license and take action if it’s clear that they are no longer eligible for their federal license, either,” Pocan said.
“Honestly,” he added, “this should be an automatic thing.”
Pocan’s amendment was approved by the full committee and will be in the final bill that will eventually head to the House floor for full House consideration.
