With animal activists planning to enter the Ridglan Farms beagle breeding facility on Sunday in an effort to remove the dogs, Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett warned in a briefing posted to social media on Thursday that illegal actions will not be tolerated. “We have to draw a decisive line between peacefully protesting and disagreeing, and violently breaking into a facility, damaging property, and stealing private property. As the sheriff’s office, our top priority is to keep and maintain the peace. And that is what we will do.”
Activists have claimed as many as 1,000 people will attempt remove 2,000 beagles from the facility located in Blue Mounds about 30 miles west of Madison. “Our sheriff’s office will be there on site to ensure that people can exercise their First Amendment rights,” Barrett said. “But when people start breaking in and breaking the law, we have to intervene to keep and maintain the peace.”
Barrett said his office has referred more than 70 charges to the Dane County DA’s office, stemming from a similar incident last month. Dane County Executive Meilissa Agard issued a statement calling for de-escalation.
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 dogs for its own internal research. Ridglan Farms has increased security around its facility.