DANE COUNTY, WISCONSIN — A busload of 50 beagles rescued from Ridglan Farms in Wisconsin arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area on Mother's Day to be placed with foster and adoptive families. The dogs traveled nearly 2,000 miles by school bus to leave the research facility and begin life outside laboratory conditions.

The 50 animals were part of a larger group of 1,500 beagles rescued from Ridglan Farms, a research lab in Dane County, Wisconsin, that also operates as a beagle mill. Video recorded at the arrival showed volunteers with Northern California Beagle Rescue lifting the dogs off the bus for their first time on grass after being housed in concrete and steel cages. The pups are slated for adoption in homes across Northern California, including San Francisco, San Jose, and Sacramento.

"Walking into the bus, I don't want to start crying again. It was very emotional," Wendy Lansdon said as the animals were unloaded. She said the dogs reacted differently to the new surroundings. "And some of them, they're really quiet," Lansdon said.

As the beagles arrived on Mother's Day, applications for both fostering and adoption were officially closed, according to a social media post from the rescue group. The post said the organization had received thousands of applications and secured enough homes for all of the dogs. The group said it is now focusing on donations to cover veterinary care because some of the animals are underweight and many have dental problems.

Protests at Ridglan Farms have previously led to the arrest of several activists.