Open Letter to the
District Attorney

Dear Mr. Ozanne,

We write on behalf of dog lovers across the nation asking for immediate action to rescue the dogs from Ridglan Farms, the nation's second-largest beagle experimentation and breeding facility, in the wake of the hundreds of instances of felony animal abuse that have been documented at the facility in recent years.

In 2017, animal rights activists documented beagles spinning psychotically in 2' x 4' metal cages, where many dogs had been confined for their entire lives.

In 2022, a whistleblower employee came forward with more disturbing evidence of abuse: surgeries being performed, in some cases by nonveterinarians, without anesthesia.

And in 2025, a state court judge, Rhonda Lanford, ruled that “a reasonably prudent prosecutor would issue charges” in the face of this evidence. Judge Lanford indicated that action needed to be taken “to ensure the important societal interests protected by [animal cruelty laws] are properly served.”

Yet despite Judge Lanford's order, the government has refused to enforce the law. On October 28, 2025, Ridglan announced it had reached a “stipulation” with the government that would prevent any charges from being filed against the company. Worse yet, nothing has been done to help the thousands of dogs who remain trapped in cages awaiting imminent torture or death, despite legal opinions from distinguished scholars, such as Harvard Law School's Prof. Kristen Stilt, describing the legal imperative to rescue the dogs.

We therefore urge the government to immediately remove the dogs from Ridglan and send them to foster homes and shelters for placement in loving homes.

No dog in America deserves torture and abuse. We ask that you, as a public official, commit to upholding that principle and join our effort to save the Ridglan dogs.

Sincerely,