Animal rights activists say they plan to raid a Wisconsin facility that breeds thousands of beagles to sell for medical and scientific research.
Ridgland Farms, about 30 miles from Madison, was previously under investigation after former employees testified about mistreatment of the animals. The facility agreed to give up its license to sell dogs to outside research firms by this July in a settlement with the state. Now the activists say they have more than 17-hundred people signed up for what they’re calling a nonviolent operation to take as many dogs as possible this Sunday.
More than two dozen people were arrested last month when activists went to the property and took 23 dogs. Now facing a potentially much larger crowd, Ridgland Farms is making defensive preparations. They’ve erected wire fencing, hay bales and dug trenches filled with rock and manure. The activists have informed the local sheriff’s department about their plans.
