Arrested animal rights activist speak out minutes after being released
By Tanaisa Shaw
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BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. (WISC) — The Brief:
Roughly 20 people were arrested Sunday after more than 50 activists broke into Ridglan Farms beagle breeding facility in Blue Mounds Activists took several dogs from the facility, with some still unaccounted for according to Dane County Sheriff’s Office The group says they were legally rescuing animals from abuse, while Ridglan Farms warns this could be the first of many actions targeting research facilities BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. — Animal rights activists from around the country are calling their arrests at Ridglan Farms a victory, saying they were rescuing beagles from abuse rather than breaking the law.
The Dane County Sheriff’s Office said officers saw more than 50 people breaking into the beagle breeding facility Sunday morning. Roughly 20 people were arrested, and while they have court dates scheduled, they are currently out of custody. Charges against the activists have not yet been determined.
Activists defend their actions Wayne Hsiung from Wisconsin and Dean Wyrzykowski from San Francisco were among those arrested and spoke moments after being released Tuesday.
“Literally stepped out a jail cell after three days,” Hsiung said.
“We all just got out, celebrating, just waiting on the next steps to save the dogs,” Wyrzykowski added.
The activists say they weren’t breaking the law and that their actions were justified.
“It is a tragedy that we’re all in jail, but we also feel good because we know that the public supports animals. The public does not want to see animals get hurt,” Wyrzykowski said.
Claims of animal abuse Hsiung described the conditions he says he saw at the facility.
“They’re surgically mutilating dogs down there, confining dogs to two-foot by four-foot cages for life, driving them to psychosis. This is clear animal abuse and no one’s doing anything about it. And we said, if the government doesn’t help the dogs, we will,” Hsiung said.
“Every single one of these animals was trapped in a metal cage, 2.5 by 4 feet, not as big as a large toddler for seven, eight years, never coming out. Many of these animals, I assume 20%, were being driven psychotic by their confinement,” he added.
Legal justification claimed When asked if they believed their actions were against the law, the activists said no.
“There is under Wisconsin law, a right to rescue animals who are suffering from criminal abuse, and we have enormous legal firepower behind this,” Shung said.
The entire situation was documented by the activists, who said justice for beagles is worth going to jail for.
Jail support and public reaction Wyrzykowski said they received support even while in custody.
“As we entered the jail cell, there were celebrations. They said, ‘yo, you guys are the dog people.’ And so even in this jail, people are talking about what we did, and they’re celebrating what we did,” he said.
Background on Ridglan Farms Ridglan Farms is a USDA-licensed Class R research facility. In 2025, Ridglan agreed to close the breeding facility and sell some of its dogs by June 1, 2026. This was part of an agreement to avoid charges connected to animal cruelty. The beagles seen on Sunday were allowed to stay at the facility for research purposes.
Activists target officials On Tuesday, several minutes after being released, the activists marched to the Dane County Courthouse with a message for the district attorney.
“It’s time for the most powerful people in the state of Wisconsin and Dane County to start listening to the people and enforcing the law to protect the dogs,” Hsiung said.
“The district attorney is protecting them and as far as I am concerned, they are part of a criminal gang at this point,” he added.
Facility responds A spokesperson from Ridglan Farms responded via email, saying in part: “We certainly hope the justice system will take the situation very seriously because the serious and extreme actions at Ridglan Farms were billed by activists as the first of many actions targeting farms and research facilities.”
Dogs recovered and missing The Dane County Sheriff’s Office says authorities recovered some of the dogs taken during the break-in, but several remain unaccounted for. According to the activists, police recovered eight dogs from the group.
The activists told reporters they are still open to talks with Ridglan and that this was their last resort after years of back-and-forth with the breeding facility.
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Samantha Calderonscalderon@wisctv.com(608)277-5133