Hundreds of animal welfare activists converged on Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers' office on Monday, chanting 'Free the dogs!' in a bid to secure the release of 2,000 beagles from a breeding and research facility. The protest followed a weekend clash with police at Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, where officers used tear gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray to repel demonstrators, resulting in 29 arrests.
The activists, organised by the Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs, demanded that Governor Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul take action to shut down the facility. They also called for a search warrant to investigate alleged animal cruelty. Neither Evers nor Kaul immediately responded to requests for comment, and no officials addressed the protesters directly.
Ridglan Farms has denied mistreating animals, stating on its website that 'no credible evidence of animal abuse, cruelty, mistreatment or neglect has ever been presented.' The facility, which has operated for over 60 years, says it supports biomedical research benefiting both humans and animals. In October, Ridglan agreed to surrender its state breeding licence by July 1 as part of a deal to avoid prosecution on animal mistreatment charges.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett defended the police response, describing it as 'appropriate and decisive' given the risk posed by protesters attempting to break into the facility. He noted that 26 officers faced between 300 and 400 demonstrators, some of whom were willing to commit felony breaking and entering. Video evidence showed a truck driving through the facility's gate and an activist taking a baton from an officer.
Democratic U.S. Representative Mark Pocan called on state officials to work with Ridglan on a plan for releasing the dogs without overwhelming rescue groups or risking euthanasia. He had previously questioned U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. about federal grants to organisations using beagles from Ridglan, to which Kennedy said he would look into the matter.
