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Animal rights group sues Ridglan Farms
An animal rights group is suing Ridglan Farms, asking a court to treat thousands of beagles housed at the Dane County breeding facility as people under the law rather than property.
MADISON, Wis. - An animal rights group is suing Ridglan Farms, asking a court to treat thousands of beagles housed at the Dane County breeding facility as people under the law rather than property.
The backstory:
FOX6 Investigators has followed the case for more than a year. Ridglan Farms breeds beagles for scientific research and has faced criticism over allegations that painful surgeries were conducted without proper anesthesia.
Last fall, prosecutors agreed not to file criminal charges if Ridglan surrendered its breeding license by July 1 and sold off its current stock of dogs. Animal rights activists say they cannot afford to wait that long.
What they're saying:
It’s safe to say that Wayne Hsiung is not welcome at Ridglan Farms. Nine years ago, he and two other activists entered the facility overnight and removed three beagles. He now wants to return for the rest.
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"We have a plan that’s in the works," he said. "We’d love for all of you to be a part of it."
On Jan. 25, Hsiung pitched his plan to potential recruits at the University of Wisconsin, calling it an "open rescue." Ridglan Farms has described the effort as mass theft.
"There are times when you do have to take non-violent direct action," said Hsiung.
Other activists are pursuing a different strategy. Christopher Berry of the Nonhuman Rights Project said his team is using a novel legal approach aimed at freeing the dogs.
"Animals have an interest not to be abused," said Berry. "It bridges a gap in existing law."
In a lawsuit filed Monday by the Nonhuman Rights Project, the plaintiffs are the beagles themselves. The filing asks the court for a writ of habeas corpus.
"Habeas corpus is Latin for free the body. And it’s a common law legal mechanism to protect in all forms, all forms of unlawful confinement," said Berry.
The legal tool is almost always used to challenge unlawful confinement of humans. Berry wants the court to extend that same protection to the beagles at Ridglan Farms.
"This is the first case advocating for animals based on animal cruelty violations," said Berry.
Dig deeper:
Similar legal efforts have been used in attempts to free elephants from zoos in New York and Pennsylvania.
"So far, courts haven’t recognized this on behalf of animals, but really it’s only a matter of time," Berry said.
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Hsiung said time may already be running out for the dogs.
A special prosecutor previously said Ridglan would likely have all the dogs sold by February or March. Records provided to FOX6 by the Marty Project and Rise for Animals show Ridglan has sold about 140 dogs since signing the settlement agreement. The company had about 2,300 dogs in September and last month said that more than 2,200 remained at the facility.
The other side:
No one from Ridglan Farms agreed to an on-camera interview. In a statement, the company said, "If successful in this case, the animal activism community will undoubtedly use this same justification to repeatedly seek to halt the use of animals for food, research, hunting, fishing and other activities."
The company added, "The state’s recent settlement with Ridglan Farms resolved all previous legal issues and animal care concerns."
Ridglan Farms' lawsuit accusing Dane4Dogs of "extortion" dismissed
The U.S. Constitution protects free speech even if it is aimed at shutting down a business. A case in Dane County bears that out.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 Investigators.