Dozens Arrested During Confrontation at Wisconsin Beagle Breeding Facility

Approximately 25 people were taken into custody on Saturday after attempts by animal welfare protesters to enter a beagle breeding and research site in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, were met with police intervention, authorities confirmed.

According to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, about 1,000 demonstrators gathered outside Ridglan Farms, roughly 25 miles southwest of Madison. Officers used pepper spray and rubber bullets in response to efforts by a group of protesters to breach the property. The incident marked the second attempt in recent months by activists to reach the facility's beagles, with a previous protest in March resulting in the removal of 30 dogs and 27 arrests.

During Saturday's confrontation, law enforcement reported that some individuals managed to get through the perimeter fence, which had been fortified with hay bales, a manure trench, and barbed wire. However, authorities said no one successfully entered the building. The sheriff’s office stated that the majority of those arrested were booked and later released, with the exception of Wayne Hsiung, identified as the leader of the Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs, who was being held on a tentative felony charge of conspiracy to commit burglary.

Following the Saturday clash, around 200 activists returned to the site on Sunday for a demonstration described by officials as peaceful. The group dispersed without incident after about two hours. Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett commended protestors for their cooperation and noted the department’s support for lawful demonstrations.

Ridglan Farms, which houses an estimated 2,000 beagles, faces ongoing scrutiny from animal welfare advocates. The company has rejected allegations of cruelty, stating on its website that no credible evidence of abuse has been substantiated. In October, Ridglan agreed to relinquish its Wisconsin breeding license effective July 1 as part of a settlement to avoid prosecution on animal mistreatment charges.

As of Sunday, most participants had been released, while investigations into the weekend's events continue.