Over a month after animal activists raided a Wisconsin beagle breeding facility, another raid attempt was made on Ridglan Farms on April 18.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said up to 400 activists are “violently trying to break in” to the property and “assault Dane County officers who are onsite.”
Barrett said activists have ladders and break-in tools to get through the fence where, according to photos shared with the Journal Sentinel, Ridglan Farms has recently ramped up security around the facility with hay bales, moats and additional fencing.
Barrett said activists are blocking emergency services on the road.
“I want to be very clear that this is not a peaceful protest anymore,” Barrett said.
The new raid occurred the day before what was supposed to be a planned second operation outside the Madison-area farm.
The Dane County Sheriff’s Office has sought charges against 62 people in connection to that first raid, when dozens of animal activists broke into the facility and removed 23 dogs.
This second operation was publicly known, as more than 1,700 people signed up, organizers said. WKOW (Channel 27) in Madison said one arrest was made April 18.
A livestream video on Facebook shows a man being handcuffed by officers.
Where is Ridglan Farms?
Ridglan Farms is in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, a village in Dane County about 30 miles southwest of Madison, and about 25 miles east of Dodgeville off Highway 18.
This story is developing and will be updated.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Animal activists attempt second raid at Wisconsin beagle farm a day early
Reporting by Christopher Kuhagen and Quinn Clark, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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