Weekend arrests and protests at a Dane County beagle breeding facility. Approximately 1000 animal rights activists showed up at Ridglan Farms on Saturday for what they described as an active rescue of beagles kept there, but which Ridglan Farms described in press releases as an assault that included a truck ramming the main gate at high speed and driving through the facility. Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barret issued an update at mid-morning: “This is not a peaceful protest and we will do everything and use every resource we have to keep and maintain the peace.”
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The Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs called the actions – which took place a day earlier than originally publicized – peaceful. and said they were met with tear gas from law enforcement as they attempted to rescue as many as 2,000 dogs. A number of arrests were made. Follow-up protests took place on Sunday outside the facility in Blue Mounds and at the Capitol in Madison. As part of a settlement with the state, Ridglan Farms agreed to surrender its license to sell dogs for outside research by July. It can continue breeding for its own internal research.