At approximately 10 a.m. On Saturday, an activist driving a pickup truck rammed through the front gate of Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, nearly striking deputies and bystanders before being arrested on the property.
The incident marked the second forced entry into the dog breeding and research facility in just over a month, following a March 15 break-in in which 27 activists were arrested and 22 beagles removed. This time, an estimated 1,000 animal rights activists arrived a day earlier than publicly announced, converging on the site after an organizational meeting led by Wayne Hsiung, co-founder of Direct Action Everywhere and a lawyer who was among those taken into custody.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene around 8:52 a.m. And found activists cutting fences, using ladders to scale perimeter barriers, and attempting to breach the property from multiple sides. Despite verbal warnings and posted signs designating areas for peaceful assembly, the crowd ignored directives and moved toward the breeding barns, prompting law enforcement to deploy tear gas, pepper spray, and pepper balls.
Ridglan Farms, which has operated near Blue Mounds for about 60 years and breeds beagles for biomedical research, described the event as a violent assault. The facility’s spokesperson said activists drove trucks across neighboring farmland and crops in repeated attempts to break in, and called for the suspension of Hsiung’s law license and disbarment proceedings by the State Bar of California.
Activists, however, maintained their actions were peaceful and motivated by concern for the animals. Veronica Cortis, an animal rights advocate present at the scene, said the beagles “don’t know grass. They don’t know love. They don’t know comfort,” adding that the dogs “deserve freedom” and are “alive, with feelings, with rights.”
The sheriff’s office estimated between 300 and 400 activists were actively attempting to break in, noting they blocked emergency vehicles on roadways and were equipped with tools intended for forced entry. Sheriff Kalvin Barrett emphasized in a video statement that the gathering was no longer a peaceful protest and declared his office would use “every resource” to maintain peace.
Court records show Ridglan Farms agreed to surrender its state breeding license by July 1 following an investigation, though it will continue operating under its USDA license, which permits in-house breeding and research. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, oversees the facility.
This pattern of confrontation echoes the March incident, when activists similarly removed dogs from the property before being apprehended. Then, as now, the sheriff’s office seized burglary tools and two vehicles as evidence.
Why did activists change the timing of their protest?
According to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, activist leader Wayne Hsiung abruptly shifted the planned break-in from Sunday to Saturday morning following an organizational meeting that day, catching law enforcement off guard despite prior notice of the event.
What legal consequences are activists facing?
Wayne Hsiung was booked into the Dane County Jail shortly after 9:45 a.m. Saturday on a charge of burglary of a building or dwelling; others were arrested for similar offenses, though the sheriff’s office has not released a full tally or details of all charges as of Saturday evening.
Will Ridglan Farms continue operating after surrendering its state license?
Yes, the facility plans to surrender its state breeding license by July 1 but will remain active under its USDA license, which allows it to breed and conduct research on dogs on-site without state authorization.
