MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Animal welfare activists converged outside of Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ Capitol office on Monday, chanting “Free the dogs!” and demanding that the governor and attorney general do what they can to shut down a beagle breeding and research facility where many of the protesters clashed with police two days earlier.
An estimated 1,000 activists from around the country came to Ridglan Farms in rural Blue Mounds in an attempt Saturday to free an estimated 2,000 beagles kept there about 25 miles (about 40 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Madison. They were met by police who repelled them with tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray. The Dane County Sheriff’s Department said 29 people were arrested.
More than 100 protesters were met outside of the Capitol hallway that leads to the offices of Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul by police officers who handed out constituent contact forms for Wisconsin residents to complete.
Evers and Kaul did not immediately return messages seeking comment. No one from their offices spoke directly to the protesters, some of whom carried pictures of Evers, Kaul and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin interacting with dogs.
Aidan Kankyoku, a co-leader of the Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs that organized the effort, said they were hoping that both Evers and Kaul would break their silence about the dog breeder. Kankyoku said activists also wanted Kaul to execute a search warrant on the facility to investigate allegations of ongoing animal cruelty.
Ridglan has denied mistreating animals but agreed in October to give up its state breeding license as of July 1 as part of a deal to avoid prosecution on animal mistreatment charges. A special prosecutor determined that Ridglan was performing eye procedures on the dogs that violated state veterinary standards.
Under that settlement, Ridglan will no longer be able to sell beagles to outside researchers starting July 1.
Ridglan says it has served as a biomedical research facility “that supports health studies benefitting both humans and animals” for more than 60 years. Nearly all of its current research is aimed at improving veterinary medicine, according to its website.
Ridglan said in a statement Monday that activists “have spread false and highly misleading claims about our research and our deep commitment to animal welfare, fueling dangerous levels of anger and hatred.” Ridglan said staff members have been threatened and followed as they leave the facility.
Many of those who were at the facility on Saturday returned to the Capitol on Monday to decry law enforcement’s reaction. Some of them showed off bruises they said were caused by rubber bullets.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett defended the actions of his officers, telling The Associated Press on Monday that their response was “appropriate and decisive” to the risk posed by between 300 and 400 protesters who attempted to break into the facility.
“We were outnumbered,” Barrett said of the 26 officers on scene.
The activists were organized into three groups, with one willing to commit felony breaking and entering, another willing to be arrested for trespassing, while others were there to peacefully protest, the sheriff said.
The sheriff’s department released a video that showed a truck driving through Ridglan’s gate, which Barrett said put officers and Ridglan staff who were in its path at risk. Barrett said another video released Monday showed an activist taking a baton away from an officer as protesters tried to rush the gate to the facility.
Protesters previously broke into the facility in March and took 30 dogs. Twenty-seven people were arrested on trespassing and other charges.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan last week questioned U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. during a House Appropriations Committee hearing about federal grants going to organizations that use beagles from Ridglan Farms.
Kennedy said he had a hard time believing what Pocan was telling him but that he would look into it.
Pocan on Sunday called on state officials to work with Ridglan on a plan for releasing the dogs that won’t overwhelm placement groups and prevent the beagles from being euthanized.
Kankyoku said if Ridglan would release the dogs, homes and veterinary care could be found for them.
“We just want the dogs out,” he said.
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This story has been updated to correct that Pocan’s social media post was Sunday, not Monday.