Police Fire Rubber Bullets And Pepper Spray At Wisconsin Beagle Facility Protest And Arrest Organizer
Police used rubber bullets and pepper spray to repel activists who tried to storm a Wisconsin beagle-breeding facility Saturday. Dane County deputies used tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and pepper balls after hundreds tried to breach fencing and barriers at Ridglan Farms, authorities said. Organizers had moved a planned Sunday operation up to Saturday, bringing roughly 1,000 activists to the site, and deputies said 300 to 400 participants violently attempted entry.
Organizer Wayne Hsiung was arrested within minutes of arriving on probable cause for conspiracy to commit burglary and is being held in the Dane County Jail. Deputies said they seized saws, fence cutters, sledgehammers and other tools they called burglary gear, and they reported one person drove a pickup through the gate before being arrested. Some protesters breached barbed wire and a manure-filled trench but did not reach buildings housing an estimated 2,000 beagles, and activists later marched to the Dane County jail in downtown Madison.
Protester accounts said they felt defeated after failing to seize dogs. Ridglan Farms said no credible evidence of abuse was substantiated and had agreed to surrender its state breeding license by July 1 to avoid prosecution. Coverage shifted as officials and some mainstream outlets emphasized a preplanned, potentially violent operation while activist-focused reports highlighted the unsuccessful rescue and the protesters' grievances. Fox and local law enforcement drove the narrative about tools seized and a tiered tactical response, while CBS and activist statements stressed the human and animal welfare motives behind the action. Representative Mark Pocan pressed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about NIH-funded projects sourcing beagles from Ridglan, and Kennedy said he would look into it.
đ Key Facts
- About 1,000 activists gathered after organizers moved a planned Sunday action to Saturday; Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said roughly 300â400 people were "violently trying to break into the property."
- Deputies employed a pre-planned, tiered response â including LRAD warnings, chemical agents (tear gas, pepper spray/pepper balls) and rubber bullets â to repel protesters who attempted to breach fencing and block nearby roads; Sheriff Barrett called the response "appropriate and proportionate."
- Authorities reported seizing burglary tools at the scene, including saws, fence cutters and sledgehammers, and said some protesters breached the perimeter fence but did not reach the buildings housing an estimated 2,000 beagles.
- Ridglan Farms had defensive measures such as a manure-filled trench, hay bales and barbed-wire fencing; the farm agreed in October to give up its state breeding license as of July 1 to avoid prosecution on animal mistreatment charges while asserting on its website that "no credible evidence" of abuse has been substantiated.
- Organizer Wayne Hsiung was arrested within minutes of arriving on probable cause for conspiracy to commit burglary and is being held in the Dane County Jail; activists later moved to protest outside the jail.
- Sheriff Barrett said a person "recklessly" drove a pickup truck through the front gate and was arrested, an action the sheriff said prevented a "potentially deadly outcome."
- Rep. Mark Pocan publicly pressed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about NIH-funded projects sourcing beagles from Ridglan and cited "hundreds of code violations"; Kennedy said he would "look into this," expressed skepticism NIH was still sourcing from Ridglan, and said his administration had "ended most" animal testing.
đ° Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms crowd size of about 1,000 protesters, with Sheriff Kalvin Barrett saying 300 to 400 were 'violently trying to break into the property' and assault officers.
- Details the facility's defensive measures, including a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence that protesters attempted to overcome.
- Reports that some protesters breached the fence but did not reach the buildings housing an estimated 2,000 beagles.
- Adds that activists moved from the Ridglan Farms site to protest outside the Dane County jail in downtown Madison after the attempted entry.
- Notes sheriff's statement that a person 'recklessly' drove a pickup truck through the front gate and was arrested, 'preventing a potentially deadly outcome.'
- Recaps that the Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs had publicly announced plans to seize the dogs Sunday but launched the operation a day early.
- Provides direct activist reaction, quoting protester Julie Vrzeski saying she felt 'defeated' after no dogs were seized.
- Adds that Ridglan Farms agreed in October to give up its state breeding license as of July 1 to avoid prosecution on animal mistreatment charges, while asserting on its website that 'no credible evidence' of abuse has been substantiated.
- Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said deputies used tear gas, pepper balls and rubber bullets under a pre-planned tiered response to keep order.
- Sheriff Barrett publicly declared that 'it was clear from the beginning that this was not going to be a peaceful protest' and called the response 'appropriate and proportionate.'
- Organizer Wayne Hsiung was arrested within minutes of arriving on probable cause for conspiracy to commit burglary and is being held in Dane County Jail.
- Deputies reported hundreds of activists attempting to breach fencing and barriers and block nearby roads after LRAD warnings not to cross onto marked private property.
- The sheriff's office says it seized burglary tools including saws, fence cutters and sledgehammers from activists at the scene.
- Roughly 1,000 activists gathered after organizers moved up a previously planned Sunday protest to Saturday, according to authorities.
- Rep. Mark Pocan publicly pressed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about NIH-funded projects using beagles from Ridglan Farms, citing 'hundreds of code violations' at the facility.
- Kennedy told Pocan he found it hard to believe NIH was still sourcing from Ridglan, said he would 'look into this,' and claimed his administration had 'ended most' animal testing.