After a Wisconsin breeding and animal research facility that housed thousands of beagles agreed to sell most of their animals, some of the dogs will be headed to the Chicago area.

After weeks of protests over their treatment of the dogs, Ridglan Farms agreed to sell 1,500 of the facility’s roughly 2,000 beagles.

Activists who have accused Ridglan of mistreating the dogs broke into the facility last month in an effort to remove beagles that were being bred for laboratory testing.

About a month later, hundreds of activists and protesters returned, clashing with police, leading some to be tear gassed and pepper sprayed.

On Thursday, organizations separate from the activist groups reached a deal with Ridglan Farms to purchase 1,500 of the estimated 2,000 beagles housed there, and transfer them to rescue organizations around the country

“Today is about doing what is right for the beagles,” said Lauree Simmons, founder and president of Big Dog Ranch Rescue.

“This is really part of a larger effort to move our nation away from beagle testing, primate testing, and other forms of animal testing,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Center for a Humane Economy.

In a statement, Ridglan farms denied mistreating the beagles, saying they are “happy, healthy and well cared for,” adding “publicly available USDA documentation shows this has been the case for many years.”

Ridglan said they’re in the midst of finalizing arrangements for the remaining 500 dogs.

At PAWS Chicago, the city’s largest no-kill animal shelter, preparations are being made for the arrival of 25 of the beagles purchased from Ridglan Farms.

“I’m so very happy for them to start their next chapter,” said PAWS Chicago head of program operations Celene Mielcarek.

PAWS expects to receive the beagles from Ridglan Farms on Saturday, but it will take some time for them to undergo medical evaluations and adjust before they’re ready for adoption.

“We are going to be spending so much time allowing them to decompress; they’ll arrive at our medical center, they’ll get their initial veterinary exam, and we’re going to get to know each of them,” Mielcarek said.

The dogs will then adapt to home life with foster care before being made available to find permanent families and start their new life, like so many dogs that have come through PAWS before them.

“We want to be nimble and respond to the crisis at hand. Right now, the crisis is helping these beagles learn how to be dogs and find their homes with their families,” Mielcarek said. 

DETROIT – April 10 was an adventurous day for 9-year-old Kyari Harris.

Harris, who goes by the nickname “King”, started his day at Nichols Elementary School on Detroit’s east side, and it ended at a McDonald’s in Lincoln Park.

It was the quick thinking of a DDOT bus driver and a group of Detroit police officers, who were honored on Thursday (April 30) morning by Mayor Mary Sheffield, that made sure he got back home.

“King got in trouble at school, and he knew he would be in trouble when he got home, so he just decided not to come home,” Mary Wynn, Harris’ mother, said on Thursday. “He went to what he would call his adventure.”

That “adventure” started that afternoon when he got off his normal school bus, cut through an alley, then hopped on a second DDOT bus that took him to the Rosa Parks Transportation Center in downtown Detroit.

“He’s never done this before,” Wynn said. “This is my only child. It was like a heart attack.”

“It was something kind of off on this, you know, I was just saying, like, why this kid is getting on my bus and by himself,” asked Thomas Burgan.

Burgan, who has driven for DDOT for six years, was driving the bus when he saw Harris board.

Surveillance footage from inside the bus shows Harris sitting in the back as the bus rolls along.

It starts to empty out as it heads to its last stop, where he spots Harris in the back, confused and holding a clear backpack.

That’s when word went over the radio to be on the lookout for a missing child.

“I said, ‘Man, that’s the kid,’” Burgan said. “He’s sitting in the back. I’m glad that he stayed on the bus until the end.”

Burgan can be seen asking Harris where he’s going. He quickly exits the bus and starts walking toward the nearby McDonald’s.

The bus cameras, along with Burgan’s cell phone, captured him walking away.

“When I took that last picture, I got back on the bus, and I called it in,” Burgan said. “I said, ‘Hey, this is the kid.’”

Harris eventually stopped at McDonald’s, where he was quickly arrested by police and returned to his mother.

While she was not happy about his little adventure, she was thankful to have him back.

“Thank God he was hungry, because if he wasn’t, there’s no telling how far, how much further he would have gone,” Wynn said. “I’m grateful for [Burgan]. I’m grateful that there were cameras on the bus.

“I never paid attention to the fact that there’s cameras on the bus,” Wynn added. “I thank the bus driver for going over and beyond.”

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee food truck operators are fearing for their livelihoods after city leaders voted to limit their hours of operation in the name of public safety.

The Common Council unanimously passed a rule that will force food trucks downtown to close by 10 p.m.

It goes into effect May 9. Aldermen argue it will help prevent people from gathering after bars close.

Food truck owners showed up at City Hall on Thursday morning to say they’re not the problem.

Abdallah Ismail runs the Fatty Patty food truck. He said closing his truck at 10 p.m. will be devastating for his business.

“Most of our sales happen during that time,” said Ismail. “It’s the core of our business at 10 p.m. We need the city to let us talk. We need them to listen to us and find a better solution for us if they can.”

Ismail confronted Ald. Robert Bauman at the city hall demonstration.

Bauman represents downtown, and he said the curfew was put in place at the request of the Milwaukee Police.

He also said the police department believes late-night gatherings at food trucks are a contributing factor to the downtown violence.

Bauman said safety is a top priority.

“If the causation issue is correct that they are a part of the problem then we need to act and if there is collateral damage, that’s unfortunate,” said Bauman. “We regret that but the bigger issue here is economic viability of an entire downtown.”

Ismail said the curfew is unnecessary. He said that’s because the food truck operators have always been willing to cooperate with the police.

“When the police came to us and say close it because there is a problem, we close right away even if it’s a busy day, even if we have a line of people,” said Ismail. “We are already helping the city.”

Bauman said the curfew will move forward as planned, and if it doesn’t work, the Common Council could reconsider the measure.

In the meantime, the food truck operators just hope they can protect their financial livelihood.