Officers use tear gas at Ridglan Farms as activists storm beagle facility

Key Points:

• Hundreds of animal welfare activists protested at Ridglan Farms, a Wisconsin beagle breeding and research facility, leading to law enforcement using tear gas, pepper balls, and rubber bullets to maintain order amid attempts to breach the property.
• Activist organizer Wayne Hsiung was arrested on conspiracy to commit burglary charges shortly after arriving, with authorities citing violent break-in attempts by 300-400 protesters and recovery of burglary tools from activists.
• Ridglan Farms, housing about 2,000 beagles, denies mistreatment allegations but agreed to surrender its state breeding license by July 1 to avoid prosecution on animal mistreatment charges.
• The protest is part of a broader controversy over the use of beagles in animal testing, with political figures like Rep. Mark Pocan criticizing ongoing funding by NIH despite reported code violations at the facility.
• Activists expressed frustration after failing to remove any dogs during the protest, which was moved up a day from its original schedule, and later continued demonstrations outside the jail where Hsiung was held.