For over a decade, Nucro-Technics, a prominent research facility in Scarborough, Ontario, has been acquiring dogs for scientific studies from Ridglan Farms, a U.S. breeder facing serious animal cruelty allegations. Ridglan Farms, located in Wisconsin, recently surrendered its breeding license amid a criminal investigation into the mistreatment of beagles.

Nucro-Technics, which claims to be Canada’s largest contract research facility, is currently under review by the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC). This review follows an investigation that revealed the lab conducts experiments on dogs, some of which end with the animals being "humanely sacrificed." The allegations against Ridglan Farms include severe practices such as performing surgeries on beagles without anesthesia, including mutilation of their eye glands and vocal cords.

Despite ongoing allegations of animal cruelty, Nucro-Technics has continued to purchase dogs from Ridglan Farms since 2013. Hidden camera footage obtained by an investigative bureau shows dogs arriving at the Nucro-Technics facility in trucks marked with the Ridglan Farms logo, nearly five years after public allegations of abuse surfaced against the breeder.

The CCAC guidelines state that animals should be sourced from reputable suppliers. Nucro-Technics is a certified member of the CCAC, which lacks the authority to impose fines or legal penalties for breaches of its standards. Instead, it can revoke certification, which could affect the organization’s access to federal funding. Nucro-Technics has not responded to inquiries regarding its due diligence in sourcing dogs from Ridglan.

Ridglan Farms has denied the allegations of animal cruelty, claiming they stem from false testimonies. Pierre Verreault, executive director of the CCAC, emphasized that it is the responsibility of member labs to ensure their suppliers adhere to animal care standards. He stated, "With the new information, the CCAC does not believe that Ridglan is a reputable supplier and does not believe institutions in Canada should be procuring animals for science from this supplier."

Angela Fernandez, director of the Animal Law program at the University of Toronto, criticized the practice of sourcing animals from suppliers with such allegations, stating, "If you just Google the company (Ridglan), you’re going to see they have all these problems."

Ridglan Farms reportedly houses around 3,200 beagles at any given time, breeding them specifically for biomedical research. Allegations against the facility first emerged in 2018 from an animal rights group, which claimed the dogs were kept in unsanitary conditions and lacked access to the outdoors. In March 2024, animal rights advocates petitioned for a special prosecutor to investigate Ridglan Farms for animal cruelty.

In October 2024, testimony from former employees revealed disturbing practices at Ridglan. One employee described holding down dogs during surgeries without anesthesia, leading to severe bleeding and pain. Another testified that Ridglan routinely severed the vocal cords of dozens of dogs each month to reduce barking, also without anesthesia.

These practices violate CCAC guidelines and Ontario’s Animals for Research Act, which mandates that animals in research likely to experience pain must be anesthetized. The issue of using dogs and cats in scientific research has gained political attention, prompting Ontario Premier Doug Ford to propose legislation to end the practice.

In January 2025, a Wisconsin judge found probable cause for multiple criminal violations of animal cruelty at Ridglan Farms and appointed a special prosecutor. In October, Ridglan Farms agreed to surrender its breeding license in exchange for the state not pursuing criminal charges, while maintaining no admission of fault.

The lead veterinarian at Ridglan was suspended for allegedly allowing unlicensed employees to perform surgeries. Ridglan Farms defended its practices, stating it has contributed to health advancements for both animals and humans for nearly 60 years.

Wayne Hsiung, an animal rights activist, criticized Nucro-Technics for continuing to source dogs from Ridglan despite the evidence of abuse. He stated, "Any failure by Nucro-Technics to act in light of this evidence of criminal abuse is unconscionable."

Dane4Dogs, the animal rights group involved in the investigation, is now facing a lawsuit from Ridglan Farms for alleged interference with business relationships. Ridglan claims that a former employee provided false testimony regarding the treatment of dogs.

Nucro-Technics has utilized dogs from Ridglan Farms in various pharmacology and safety studies from 2013 to 2021. The company’s Standard Operating Procedure for Purchasing and Receiving Animals lists Ridglan as a supplier as of April 2019.

Footage from a whistleblower at Nucro-Technics shows dogs arriving in stacked cages, with staff conducting brief inspections without removing the animals from their cages. Dogs with visible injuries were reportedly rejected. Experts have raised concerns that using animals with compromised welfare undermines the validity of scientific research, emphasizing that better animal welfare leads to better science.