The Brief The Dane County District Attorney's Office filed new charges against 47 people, accusing them of participating in the March  open rescue  at Ridglan Farms. Several people were previously charged. There was also an attempt in April. Nearly 2,000 beagles have since been released, with more to come in August.



The Dane County District Attorney's Office filed a list of new criminal charges against 47 people, accusing them of participating in the March  open rescue  of beagles at Ridglan Farms.

Activists storm Ridglan Farms

The backstory:

Animal rights activists stormed the Wisconsin dog breeding facility on March 15. The self-described  rescuers  got away with 23 beagles at that time. Attorney Wayne Hsiung, who was previously charged, led the team that forced its way into the breeding barns - ultimately punching their way through a window to get inside.

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Hundreds of activists returned on April 18, but they failed to breach the fortified perimeter of Ridglan Farms. Law enforcement was ready to defend the facility with rubber bullets and tear gas.

Animal rights activists storm Ridglan Farms on March 15, 2026.

Hsiung is among four people who were previously charged, bringing the total number of people charged to 51.

Ridglan Farms officially surrendered its state dog seller license, part of an agreement to avoid animal cruelty charges, on July 1. The charges against the activists came days later.

Research and release

The backstory:

For more than 60 years, Ridglan Farms bred beagle puppies in the town of Blue Mounds for use in scientific research. In 2024, former employees testified about the conditions at the farm as well as painful  cherry eye  surgeries performed routinely by non-veterinarians without pain relief.

In January 2025, a Dane County judge found probable cause that Ridglan Farms had committed crimes of animal cruelty. However, a special prosecutor appointed to investigate elected not to file charges. Instead, he agreed to a settlement that allows Ridglan Farms to avoid crimin

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