Following the recent raid and ongoing rescue effort at Ridglan Farms in Wisconsin, extensively reported on by World Animal News, U.S. Representative Nick Langworthy has sent a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, urging the immediate suspension of federal funding for any projects involving dogs from Ridglan Farms, as well as a plan to phase out all invasive experiments on dogs and cats.

Rep. Langworthy’s letter cites news coverage of findings from animal testing watchdog group White Coat Waste (WCW), whose investigations uncovered ongoing federal funding for cruel experiments involving beagles from Ridglan. WCW reportedly first warned Secretary Kennedy’s team more than a year ago that the NIH was still funding maximum pain experiments on Ridglan beagles and offered to help rehome the dogs.

In the letter, Langworthy wrote, “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.”

He continued by respectfully requesting that Kennedy and the NIH:

  • 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; and 

  • Develop a clear timeline for phasing out all federal support for invasive research that uses dogs and cats bred for experimentation and euthanasia. 

Langworthy’s letter concludes, “The American people expect their tax dollars to reflect both fiscal responsibility and basic standards of humane treatment. Ending support for facilities that breed beagles for painful experimentation prior to euthanasia is consistent with those values and with the reform efforts your agencies have already begun.”

Last month, Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI), who represents the district where Ridglan is based, questioned Secretary Kennedy about his agency’s funding of dog experiments during a Congressional hearing. Pocan also posted on social media that he will fight to ensure that every single dog receives a loving home.

According to WCW, the NIH has allocated more than $126 million in new taxpayer funding for experiments on Ridglan beagles, as well as other cats and dogs, including additional funding issued as recently as last month.

Anthony Bellotti, president and founder of White Coat Waste, praised the Congressman’s effort, saying, “We’re grateful to Congressman Nick Langworthy for joining White Coat Waste in urging RFK Jr. and the NIH to finally cut funding for 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. Ridglan relies on taxpayer dollars to keep breeding and abusing beagles. The solution is simple: Stop the money. Stop the madness!”

The controversial 2026 Farm Bill that passed the House this week included a bipartisan amendment championed by White Coat Waste that prohibits funding for painful dog and cat research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which the group exposed for funding tests on Ridglan dogs in recent years.

As scrutiny intensifies around Ridglan Farms, lawmakers, advocates, and the public are increasingly demanding accountability for how taxpayer dollars are spent—especially when funding cruel animal testing.

TAKE ACTION! Please support the PAAW Act and help stop the NIH from funding cruel experiments on dogs and cats in the U.S. by signing WCW’s petition HERE!

You can also help by calling RFK Jr.’s office at (202) 690-7000 to urge him to cut NIH funding for Ridglan Farms and other laboratories that conduct cruel experiments on dogs and cats.