Animal welfare activists gathered outside Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers' Capitol office on Monday, chanting "Free the dogs!" and urging state officials to intervene in the case of a beagle breeding and research facility. The demonstration followed a tense confrontation at Ridglan Farms in rural Blue Mounds just two days earlier, where police used tear gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray to repel an estimated 1,000 protesters attempting to free around 2,000 beagles.
Weekend Clash Leads to Capitol Protest
On Saturday, activists from across the country converged on Ridglan Farms, located about 25 miles southwest of Madison, in an effort to rescue the beagles. The Dane County Sheriff's Department reported that 29 individuals were arrested during the incident. Many of those involved returned to the Capitol on Monday to protest law enforcement's response, with some displaying bruises they attributed to rubber bullets.
Demands for Official Action
More than 100 protesters were met by police officers outside the Capitol hallway leading to the offices of Governor Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul. Officers distributed constituent contact forms for Wisconsin residents, but neither Evers nor Kaul immediately responded to requests for comment. No representatives from their offices addressed the protesters directly, some of whom carried photographs of the officials interacting with dogs.
Aidan Kankyoku, a co-leader of the Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs, which organized the efforts, expressed hope that both Evers and Kaul would break their silence regarding the facility. Kankyoku stated that activists also wanted Kaul to execute a search warrant on Ridglan Farms to investigate allegations of ongoing animal cruelty. "We just want the dogs out," he emphasized.
Ridglan Farms' Response and Background
Ridglan Farms has denied mistreating animals but agreed in October to surrender its state breeding license effective July 1 as part of a deal to avoid prosecution on animal mistreatment charges. On its website, the facility asserts that "no credible evidence of animal abuse, cruelty, mistreatment or neglect at Ridglan Farms has ever been presented or substantiated." Ridglan describes itself as a biomedical research facility that has supported health studies benefiting both humans and animals for over 60 years, with nearly all current research aimed at improving veterinary medicine.
The facility did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Monday. Activists maintained that they were acting peacefully during Saturday's attempt to rescue the dogs when police intervened. This incident follows a March break-in at the facility, where protesters took 30 dogs, leading to 27 arrests on trespassing and other charges.
Political and Federal Involvement
Democratic U.S. Representative Mark Pocan called on state officials via social media on Monday to collaborate with Ridglan on a plan for releasing the dogs that would not overwhelm placement groups or result in euthanasia. Last week, Pocan questioned U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. during a House Appropriations Committee hearing about federal grants to organizations using beagles from Ridglan Farms. Kennedy responded that he found Pocan's claims hard to believe but would investigate the matter.
The protests highlight ongoing tensions between animal welfare advocates and research facilities, with activists demanding transparency and action from state leaders to address concerns over animal treatment and law enforcement tactics.
