Activists Attempting to Storm Beagle Research Facility Were Met with Rubber Bullets and Barricades
In March 2026, around 60 protesters allegedly breached a facility that breeds beagles used in scientific research. The Wisconsin-based, accredited breeder and research facility Ridglan Farms said the activists cut a chain-link fence and a locked gate, entering several buildings using sledgehammers, electric saws, and crowbars before taking 31 dogs from the property. Around 20 people were arrested for the break-in, police said.
Activists from the Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs announced plans to carry out a second raid this month, alleging that Ridglan Farms was neglecting its beagles. While the property already agreed to stop breeding dogs for outside sale by 1 July to avoid prosecution about animal mistreatment, the activists forged ahead, claiming that the dogs were still suffering, USA Today reported.
The organizers posted full details of a 19 April action online, including timing, team structures, and a public sign-up form that drew more than 1,700 participants for a nonviolent operation to seize the facility’s 2,000 beagles.
Volunteers were asked to indicate the level of legal risk they want to assume, whether standing on public property, misdemeanor trespassing, or potential felony charges. All volunteers were strictly instructed to use only nonviolent means during the protest and operation.
Ridglan Farms characterized the planned operation as an illegal break-in that could cause up to $6 million in damage while endangering staff, law enforcement, activists, and animals, USA Today reported.
The action began a day early. About 1,000 animal welfare activists convened on 18 April and attempted to gain entry to the facility. In a video statement posted on social media, Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property” and assault officers, and that protesters ignored designated areas for peaceful protest and blocked roads to prevent access by emergency vehicles. Around 25 protesters were arrested, including the movement’s leader, Wayne Hsiung, who was being held on a tentative felony charge of conspiracy to commit burglary.
Ridglan Farms had boosted its security measures and deterrents following the March break-in. Protesters tried to overcome hay-bale barricades, a manure-filled trench, and a barbed-wire fence. Some protesters got through but were unable to access the facility. Police turned protesters back using rubber bullets and pepper spray.
The sheriff’s department said one person “recklessly” drove a pickup truck through the front gate of the property; the individual was arrested, “preventing a potentially deadly outcome,” the Associated Press (AP) reported.
A second protest this weekend on 19 April was more peaceful. Around 200 people assembled outside the farm and dispersed after two hours, according to the AP.
“We’re pleased with the group’s cooperation today, and their willingness to remain peaceful, while still sending their message of concern for the dogs at Ridglan Farms,” Sheriff Barrett said in a statement. “We are happy to support anyone who wants to exercise the right to protest, as long as they do so lawfully.”
For more about security around activism and mass protests, check out these resources from Security Management:
- The Other Side of the Looking Glass: Providing Security for Marches and Rallies
- Campus Protests: Working Together to Meet Peace with Peace
- Environmental Activists Get Aggressive in Antarctic Waters
- Corporate Resilience: How to Anticipate Mass Protest and Disruption
- Protest Preparedness: Analyzing Crowd Dynamics, Threat Actors, and Intelligence
- How Activism and Executive Risk Converge Today
