Protest at Beagle Facility in Wisconsin Turns Violent
On Saturday, around 1,000 animal rights activists converged on Ridge Run Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, but law enforcement intervened using rubber bullets, tear gas, and pepper spray. The group’s leader was also detained.
The situation escalated as 300 to 400 protesters attempted to force their way onto the property, attacking officers in the process. Dane County Sheriff Calvin Barrett noted that protesters ignored designated areas for legal demonstrations, which led to significant traffic disruptions for emergency responders. “This is not a peaceful protest,” he remarked in a video statement.
Barricades were set up between the crowd and the estimated 2,000 beagles housed at the facility. Despite their efforts to breach the barriers made of fertilizer, hay bales, and barbed wire, the protesters could not enter the building. A driver who carelessly drove a pickup truck through the main gate was apprehended, and authorities indicated several more arrests were made.
Ahead of the protest, law enforcement agencies had prepared a comprehensive response strategy. Items such as saws, sledgehammers, and fence cutters were confiscated from demonstrators. Wayne Shun, an attorney leading the Coalition to Save Ridgerun Dogs, was arrested shortly after entering the property on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery.
Prior to the incident, Shun had appeared on a podcast discussing the organization’s plans. He later expressed emotional reactions while in custody, stating, “Tears came to my eyes as I heard the story about what is happening at Ridge Run Farms. This is like the courage of ordinary people changing the world. We cannot give up on our dogs.”
This protest marks the group’s second attempt in roughly five weeks. Several activists had previously entered the facility on March 15, resulting in 27 arrests and the removal of 30 beagles. Ridge Run Farms reached an agreement with prosecutors last October, allowing it to stop its state breeding license by July 1 to avoid facing animal cruelty charges, although the farm claims that no reliable evidence of abuse has been found.
