From cages to comfort: Rescued beagles take private jet from South Florida to New York for adoption
By Sofia Zarran
June 22, 2026 at 12:57 PM EDT
Thousands of dogs have been rescued from Ridglan Farms, a Wisconsin-based breeding and research facility, by a Palm Beach County dog rescue organization. Some were sent off in style Friday from Palm Beach International Airport to be adopted in New York.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Loxahatchee Groves was instrumental in the recent closure of Ridglan Farms. The facility agreed in October to give up its state breeding license as of July 1 as part of a deal to avoid prosecution on felony animal mistreatment charges. The firm has denied mistreating animals, but a special prosecutor determined that Ridglan Farms was performing eye procedures that violated state veterinary standards.
Now that all the dogs have been removed from Ridglan Farms, Big Dog Ranch Rescue is working to get the dogs — which are all beagles — adopted. Part of that effort is where Pilots To The Rescue comes in.
READ MORE: Wisconsin beagle research facility that drew protests is closing as rescue group takes in dogs
Pilots to the Rescue is a nonprofit partnering with Big Dog Ranch Rescue to transport the beagles to other shelters to help speed up the adoption process. So far, 30 beagles have been flown on private jets to New York to be adopted, 15 of which took off last week.
Michael Schneider, founder of Pilots To The Rescue, said that transporting at-risk or endangered animals is an essential part in making sure animals can be cared for more efficiently.
Beagles take flight
" If they can parcel off some of those beagles to groups that they have already have relationships with and that will ease their burden for vetting those adopters, they're gonna do it,” Schneider said. “The sooner they can get them out of their facility, the sooner they'll make space for other animals that come in."
Schneider said that Pilots To The Rescue transports endangered or injured animals, like sea turtles, to places where they can get proper treatment. A Pilots To The Rescue Board member donated last week's flight so that the 15 beagles can fly quickly and comfortably to Second Chance Rescue NYC.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue said beagles are the most common breed of dog used for animal testing, primarily because of their smaller size and gentle temperament. The rescue organization helped secure the release of over 2,000 beagles from the Wisconsin testing facility, and took in more than 1,000 themselves.
Schneider said Ridglan Farms’ closure and the support Big Dog Ranch Rescue received is a sign to him that less and less people are tolerating animal testing. He hopes that the rescue of these thousands of dogs is a sign that medical testing on animals will end soon.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Loxahatchee Groves was instrumental in the recent closure of Ridglan Farms. The facility agreed in October to give up its state breeding license as of July 1 as part of a deal to avoid prosecution on felony animal mistreatment charges. The firm has denied mistreating animals, but a special prosecutor determined that Ridglan Farms was performing eye procedures that violated state veterinary standards.
Now that all the dogs have been removed from Ridglan Farms, Big Dog Ranch Rescue is working to get the dogs — which are all beagles — adopted. Part of that effort is where Pilots To The Rescue comes in.
READ MORE: Wisconsin beagle research facility that drew protests is closing as rescue group takes in dogs
Pilots to the Rescue is a nonprofit partnering with Big Dog Ranch Rescue to transport the beagles to other shelters to help speed up the adoption process. So far, 30 beagles have been flown on private jets to New York to be adopted, 15 of which took off last week.
Michael Schneider, founder of Pilots To The Rescue, said that transporting at-risk or endangered animals is an essential part in making sure animals can be cared for more efficiently.
Beagles take flight
" If they can parcel off some of those beagles to groups that they have already have relationships with and that will ease their burden for vetting those adopters, they're gonna do it,” Schneider said. “The sooner they can get them out of their facility, the sooner they'll make space for other animals that come in."
Schneider said that Pilots To The Rescue transports endangered or injured animals, like sea turtles, to places where they can get proper treatment. A Pilots To The Rescue Board member donated last week's flight so that the 15 beagles can fly quickly and comfortably to Second Chance Rescue NYC.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue said beagles are the most common breed of dog used for animal testing, primarily because of their smaller size and gentle temperament. The rescue organization helped secure the release of over 2,000 beagles from the Wisconsin testing facility, and took in more than 1,000 themselves.
Schneider said Ridglan Farms’ closure and the support Big Dog Ranch Rescue received is a sign to him that less and less people are tolerating animal testing. He hopes that the rescue of these thousands of dogs is a sign that medical testing on animals will end soon.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.