Police attack activists at attempted beagle-saving raid
Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets as hundreds of activists descended on a Wisconsin beagle-breeding facility — in an attempt to rescue dogs held for laboratory research.
Credit: Diana Hulet/Sanctuary Doc
Hundreds of activists descended on Ridglan Farms, a beagle-breeding facility in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, on Saturday, April 18, attempting a mass rescue of dogs held for laboratory research.
Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to keep the activists from entering the facility, arresting at least 26 people. The action was planned in advance – but instead of striking on Sunday as announced, the action took place a day early.
Breeding thousands of beagles annually for experimentation purposes and holding between 2,000 and 3,000 animals, Ridglan Farms is one of the biggest suppliers of research animals in the US.
The company has repeatedly faced allegations of cruelty to animals, including accusations that dogs were held in filthy conditions, had untreated wounds, and were subjected to eye mutilations without pain relief. The dogs were also seen with sore paws from standing on wire in their cages. Indeed, after its head veterinarian was stripped of his license, the laboratory is shutting down its beagle-breeding operations on July 1, 2026 – but before then, every animal held at the facility can still be sold for experimentation.
Credits: Diana Hulet/Sanctuary Doc
The action, organised by pressure group Direct Action Everywhere, saw activists gather from around the country in what was a mass open rescue – an action where abused animals are taken from captivity openly, in daylight, without attempts to conceal the action or the activists' identities. The meaning of the open rescue movement is to normalize removing animals from situations where they are suffering, much like one would if finding a dog suffering in a locked car on a hot day.
Upon arriving at Ridglan Farms, activists faced a manure-filled trench, barbed wire, and hay bales. Some did cross the fences, but none managed to enter the facility. Direct Action Everywhere leader Wayne Hsiung was among those arrested. Activists moved to protest outside the prison after Hsiung and others were detained. “As I sit in a jail cell, I am feeling a mix of shock from the sudden escalation of violence and guilt for the failure to protect the people I love,” Hsiung writes from prison on his Substack account. “Above all, we cannot give up on our purpose. We cannot give up on the dogs. If we stay focused on this purpose, the repression will backfire.”
In another Substack post, he also writes about Jeryl, the disabled grandmother who was pepper-sprayed to the point of vomiting and kicked in the back. “I just wanted to save one dog,” Hsiung recalls her saying.
In March this year, several dozen activists with the group had successfully accessed Ridglan Farms and rescued 13 dogs, eight of whom were adopted into new homes. The activists were charged with burglary.“If a movement is diverse and numerous, it can not be silenced,” writes Hsiung. “And when the public sees ordinary people resisting — and not just celebrity leaders — it inspires everyone to join.”
Every year in the United States, around 25 million animals, including dogs, primates, rabbits, mice, and other animals suffer and die in horrific and unnecessary laboratory experiments. We need your help to end FDA-mandated animal testing. Please r each out to your representatives and urge them to do the right thing by cosponsoring the FDA Modernization Act 3.0. Send a letter here - it takes 30 seconds.
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