DANE COUNTY (NBC 26) — More than 50 additional people are expected to face criminal charges in connection with the March break-in at Ridglan Farms in Dane County.
Animal rights attorneys representing several activists said Friday that the Dane County District Attorney plans to charge 51 more people for their alleged roles in the March 15 incident at the beagle breeding and research facility.
According to a criminal complaint, investigators allege that about 50 activists entered Ridglan Farms after cutting through fencing and attempting to force their way into several buildings. Authorities say the group removed 22 beagles valued at about $44,000, caused more than $40,000 in property damage, and planned the operation in advance. Prosecutors have filed burglary, felony criminal damage to property, and theft-related charges against those accused of participating.
The announcement comes months after prosecutors charged four people in the case. Those defendants each face multiple felony counts related to the March break-in.
NBC 26 has been following the controversy surrounding Ridglan Farms. Earlier this month, the company announced it would sell or donate all of its remaining beagles to Big Dog Ranch Rescue by the end of August. Ridglan also agreed to surrender its Wisconsin breeding license on July 1 as part of an earlier agreement resolving an animal cruelty investigation. However, the company has denied mistreating its animals and has said recent inspections found no animal care violations.
Attorneys representing the activists criticized the decision to pursue additional charges, arguing that prosecutors devoted significant resources to investigating the demonstrators rather than the facility itself. They said they plan to challenge the charges in court.
The charges stem only from the March 15 break-in. A second, larger protest at Ridglan Farms in April also led to numerous arrests, but no additional charges related to that demonstration were announced Friday.
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