At least 25 people were arrested during an attempted break-in April 18 at Ridglan Farms, a Blue Mounds beagle breeding facility, according to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office.
The chaotic scene unfolded a day earlier than originally planned in what Matt Johnson, spokesperson for the Coalition to Save Ridglan Dogs, described as “deliberate misdirection” to reduce police presence.
As hundreds of animal rights activists attempted to breach the property, the sheriff’s office said it used tear gas, pepper balls and “less-lethal 40mm munitions” – commonly known as rubber bullets – in a “tiered response.”
No dogs were removed from the facility.
The activists are protesting the farm’s treatment of its roughly 2,000 beagles, which are bred for medical research. Ridglan Farms is one of the largest beagle breeding facilities in the country.
Ridglan agreed in a settlement last fall to surrender its state breeding license by July 1 after a special prosecutor determined the facility was performing eye procedures on dogs that violated state veterinary standards and constituted animal mistreatment. However, Ridglan can continue breeding beagles for its own internal research.
The attempted break-in comes about a month after activists first broke into Ridglan Farms on March 15 and removed 23 dogs, resulting in 27 arrests. The Dane County Sheriff’s Office has sought charges against 62 people from that operation.
All of the people who were arrested April 18 face potential felony charges of conspiracy to commit burglary, according to the sheriff’s office.
Arizona resident Michelle Lunsky, 33, faces an additional charge of second-degree recklessly endangering safety after driving a vehicle onto the property around 10 a.m., police said. Videos provided by Ridglan Farms show the vehicle ramming through the facility’s front gate.
Ridglan Farms and activists have offered sharply conflicting accounts of Saturday’s events, each accusing the other of violence.
On April 20, a Ridglan Farms spokesperson accused activists of “repeatedly” tossing smoke and tear gas canisters over the fence at police and security guards. The sheriff’s office confirmed it seized tear gas from protesters, along with burglary tools including saws, fence cutters and sledgehammers, and handcuff keys.
Activists have maintained the protest was peaceful, though organizers publicly stated their goal was to enter the property and remove beagles from the facility.
Videos provided by the coalition show law enforcement spraying the crowd with tear gas as some tried to breach the fence. Other clips show sheriffs’ deputies pushing people onto the ground before arresting them.
The coalition said one man, Nicholas Dickman, had two teeth knocked out after law enforcement officers allegedly kicked and beat him as he attempted to enter through a hole in the fence. At a protest at the Wisconsin State Capitol on April 20, other people displayed wounds they said came from rubber bullets and spoke of violent arrests.
In a statement, Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said no one was seriously injured and that the response was “appropriate and proportionate.”
Two county officials call for investigation into use of force
Dane County Supervisors Michele Ritt and Rick Rose held a press conference April 20 calling for a third-party investigation into the sheriff’s office’s response, including whether the use of tear gas and force was justified.
“In war times, you cannot use tear gas,” Rose said. “It’s an international agreement. So why is it being used in a situation like this?”
The county supervisors said they are working as quickly as possible to begin the third-party investigation.
Among those arrested was Wayne Hsiung, animal rights lawyer and the lead organizer of both raids. The sheriff’s office said Hsiung was arrested “within minutes of arriving” at Ridglan Farms based on probable cause for conspiracy to commit burglary.
In a statement posted April 19, Hsiung disputed the sheriff’s characterization of events as violent, saying activists were “peaceful protesters holding flowers.”
Ridglan Farms released a statement on April 20 calling for the State Bar of California to suspend his law license.
“If any of Saturday’s attack participants, their supporters or police were injured, the fault lies squarely on the shoulders of Wayne Hsiung,” the statement said.
Activists gathered at the Capitol building on April 20 demanded a meeting with Gov. Tony Evers.
“This is a huge, unhinged situation right on Governor Evers’ doorstep, 30 minutes from the state Capitol,” activist Aidan Kankyoku said at the Capitol. “He needs to address this.”
Evers’ spokesperson said April 15 the state has already exercised its authority over Ridglan through the settlement agreement requiring the facility to surrender its breeding license by July 1.
Anonymous donors offer $1 million for release of dogs
Johnson, the spokesperson for the Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs, said organizers had considered various dates and chose to act Saturday, a day earlier than planned, based on weather and in an attempt to reduce law enforcement presence. More than 1,700 people had signed up for the publicly announced operation on Sunday.
Johnson said anonymous donors have offered $1 million for the release of all 2,000 dogs at the facility. Ridglan has not publicly responded to the offer.
Also on April 20, the Dane County District Attorney’s Office filed a charge against Ridglan Farms for constructing or altering a manure storage facility without a permit, with a violation date of April 16, two days before the break-in attempt.
The charge stems from the trench Ridglan dug around the property as part of its security preparations. Photos reviewed by the Journal Sentinel show the trench filled with rocks and what appears to be manure.
Ridglan said it “did not construct a manure storage facility” but rather “dug a trench around the perimeter of the facility” as a security measure.
“This obstacle impeded a dangerous mob that sought to commit a forcible mass break-in,” the statement said.
The Dane County Sheriff’s Office has said it is coordinating a walkthrough inspection of the facility with investigators from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and animal control officials.
Quinn Clark is a Public Investigator reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be emailed at QClark@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Activists tear-gassed, 25 arrested in attempted raid of Wisconsin beagle farm
Reporting by Quinn Clark, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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