A quiet Wisconsin town turned into a battlefield on Saturday, April 18, 2026, as police used rubber bullets and pepper spray to repel a massive mob of animal welfare activists.
Roughly 1,000 protesters descended on Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, attempting to breach the facility and "liberate" thousands of beagles bred for medical research.
The chaos erupted a day earlier than activists had publicly planned, but law enforcement was ready.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett reported that the group was "violently trying to break into the property" and assaulting officers.
To stop the surge, deputies utilized a "manure-filled trench," hay bales, and barbed-wire fences as makeshift barricades.
The Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs, led by activist Wayne Hsiung, spearheaded the operation.
Hsiung was arrested at the scene, with his social media accounts quickly posting images of him in zip-ties.
Sheriff's officials also arrested a man who "recklessly" rammed a pickup truck through the facility's front gate, narrowly avoiding a "deadly outcome."
While activists were successful in a March raid that saw 30 dogs taken, Saturday's mission was a total washout for the group.
"I just feel defeated," activist Julie Vrzeski told reporters after three hours of clashing with police yielded zero rescued dogs. The facility currently houses an estimated 2,000 beagles.
Ridglan Farms has long been a target for activists, though the company maintains there is "no credible evidence" of abuse.
However, the facility has already agreed to surrender its state breeding license by July 1, 2026, to avoid prosecution on prior mistreatment charges.
As the sun set, the remaining protesters moved their demonstration from the farm to the jail in downtown Madison, demanding the release of their arrested leaders.
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