Activists break into Wisconsin animal breeding facility ahead of scheduled protest
By Samantha Calderon
Click here for updates on this story
TOWN OF BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. (WISC) — TOWN OF BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. — Animal rights activists broke into Ridglan Farms in the Town of Blue Mounds Saturday morning, rather than the previously scheduled Sunday morning break-in, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office said. A leader of the movement has also been arrested, and no dogs have been rescued as of 11:43 a.m.
This follows a March 15 break-in at the animal breeding facility, which has been accused of constant abuse, specifically towards beagles. The sheriff’s office previously referred charges against 63 people after last month’s forced entry.
The group has been working with longtime animal rights activist and Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) co-founder Wayne Hsiung. He was one of the people arrested after the March 15 break-in. Online jail records show that Hsiung was booked into the Dane County Jail shortly after 9:45 a.m. for burglary building or dwelling.
According to a spokesperson from Ridglan Farms, approximately 1,500 activists attempted to break in starting at 9 a.m. Roughly an hour ago, an activist driving a pickup truck allegedly drove at high speeds, nearly running over several police, security staff, and bystanders. Police arrested her within Ridglan Farms property, and she currently remains in custody.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a video that there were between 300 to 400 activists. He also added that the activists have been blocking emergency vehicles out on the roadways. More updates will come at a later time.
“As your sheriff, I want to be very clear. This is not a peaceful protest, and we will do everything and use every resource we have to keep and maintain the peace,” Barrett said.
Activists insist the attempted break in and the protest are peaceful. A News 3 Now crew on scene said tear gas, pepper spray, and sandbag guns were used. An ambulance was on its way as well.
Reviews by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection raised concerns over “cherry eye” procedures performed at the facility. Ridglan’s lead veterinarian, Richard Von Domelen, saw his license suspended after DATCP found he delegated the procedures to staff who weren’t properly licensed.
DATCP also hit the facility with 311 violations in September, mostly centered on the cherry eye procedures. Last year, Ridglan Farms entered into a settlement with a special prosecutor that saw it hand over its breeding license, effective July 1, 2026, in order to avoid criminal prosecution. The facility was allowed to continue operating as a research facility.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
Samantha Calderonscalderon@wisctv.com(608)277-5133