Update July 8, 2026: UW-Madison found the student group responsible for a minor violation related to improperly putting up posters on buildings. The group received a written reprimand and was ordered to review the university’s postering policies.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is investigating a student group’s alleged involvement in the raid of a Madison-area beagle breeding facility.
The Office of Student Conduct is determining whether Animal Advocacy encouraged other students to participate in criminal activity. The student group protested animal abuse on a flyer and in a social media post about Ridglan Farms, a Blue Mounds beagle breeding facility that has faced years of accusations of mistreating dogs. Ridglan Farms has long denied mistreating the animals in its care.
The group’s flyer and social media post took people to an online document outlining ways to get involved, such as contacting Gov. Tony Evers and Dane County officials. The document also included a link to an animal rights activist’s blog post, which referenced entering Ridglan Farms and removing dogs from the property.
Ridglan Farms drew national attention this spring when animal activists attempted two raids. In March, about 50 activists broke into the facility and removed 23 beagles. About a month later, roughly 1,000 people showed up for a second operation, but were met with tear gas and rubber bullets from the Dane County Sheriff’s Office. No dogs were removed during the second operation.
Jackson Ray, an incoming junior studying philosophy and sociology, leads Animal Advocacy. He denied the group’s messaging encouraged people to break the law and said the group had a First Amendment right to exercise political speech. He said the intent of the messages were purely informational, encouraging people to get involved in the community.
“If UW-Madison can point to a flyer you put up discussing information about a radical form of activism, and they can say that’s a felony, that sets a dangerous precdent for future activism,” he said.
UW-Madison said it was not conducting a criminal investigation. Campus policy uses definitions within state law for student organization conduct investigations.
The investigation was causing fear among the group’s membership, Ray said. Losing status as a registered student group would disrupt momentum and potentially hinder future recruitment efforts. As many as 70 students have attended events.
Losing registered status would also mean losing out on grant money from student goverment, which allocates student fees to various student groups on campus.
Animal Advocacy received about $30,000 this past school year, Ray said. The money was used for an animal ethics fellowship, volunteer work at animal sanctuaries, and promotional events related to animal care and veganism.
Ray said the group will meet with the UW-Madison student conduct office June 10. A decision will be released afterward.
About 1,500 of Ridglan Farms’ 2,150 beagles were released to rescue organizations after the raids for an undisclosed amount. Many have already been adopted.
Quinn Clark of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this article.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Kelly Meyerhofer has covered higher education in Wisconsin since 2018. Contact her at kmeyerhofer@gannett.com or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: UW-Madison investigating student group for promoting Ridglan Farms raid
Reporting by Kelly Meyerhofer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Kelly Meyerhofer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
