Dog rescue providing care for 'senior' Ridglan Farms beagles

Albert’s Dog Lounge Rescue, a small Whitewater, Wis., organization run by Mandy Lewis, is caring for 19 older beagles that were transferred from Ridglan Farms. The dogs arrived after being vetted through a larger transfer effort and were selected because they need extra medical attention and hands-on rehabilitation. Lewis, who has operated the rescue for eight years, specializes in animals with high medical needs, seniors, hospice cases and other special-needs dogs. She says that background made her organization a match for these particular beagles, many of whom require ongoing veterinary work before they can be placed in permanent homes. Ridglan Farms, a breeding facility in Blue Mounds that has been the subject of animal welfare allegations, reached agreements with outside groups that will result in 1,500 beagles being rehomed by rescues nationwide. Ridglan has denied that credible evidence of abuse has been presented, and the farm is scheduled to surrender its state breeding license by July 1 as part of a related agreement. Albert’s Dog Lounge received the 19 senior animals late in the transfer process, after many of the younger and healthier dogs had already been moved. Lewis says the group expects it will take several months to complete necessary medical procedures for these beagles and hopes they can begin going up for adoption this summer once that work is finished. Until then, the dogs are staying with trusted foster families. One foster, Neil Robinson, and his wife took in a beagle named Knox and describe the biggest challenge as helping the dogs learn how to be pets again — socialization, confidence and normal routines — rather than medical care, which he called straightforward but costly. Robinson urges patience, noting some dogs may adjust in weeks while others may take months or struggle to fully adapt. Lewis and her foster partners describe bittersweet joy watching the beagles experience simple pleasures for the first time, like exploring outside and feeling grass under their paws. They say their daily goal is to make each day better than the last as the dogs move toward recovery and future adoption.