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Ridglan Farms lawsuit dismissed; here's why
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.
MILWAUKEE - 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.
Lawsuit tossed out
What we know:
For more than 60 years, Ridglan Farms in Dane County has sold beagles to research labs.
Beagles at Ridglan Farms
In spring 2025, Ridglan sued Dane4Dogs, accusing the animal rights group of extortion over a letter it sent to Ridglan customers. The letter strongly encouraged the companies to stop buying Ridglan dogs, or they would find their names in a published list of customers.
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On Tuesday, Jan. 20, Dane County Judge Jacob Frost ruled those letters amounted to coercive, but legally protected free speech. The judge wrote, "Defendants have the constitutional right to speak about their wishes to see Ridglan Farms...go out of business, as long as they do so in a lawful manner."
Courtesy of Ridglan Farms
Dane4Dogs reaction
What they're saying:
Dane4Dogs President Rebekah Robinson admits they do want Ridglan to go out of business.
"Absolutely. We want dogs to be adopted out to loving homes. That’s what we want. We want animal cruelty to stop. We want experimentation on dogs to stop. We want dogs not to be kept in cages 24/7 where they never go outside and never see sunlight. We want that to end, yes," Robinson said.
What's next:
In October, a special prosecutor said he had enough evidence to file criminal animal cruelty charges against Ridglan Farms for painful surgeries performed on hundreds of dogs without proper anesthesia.
Ridglan Farms
Instead, the prosecutor cut a deal that allows Ridglan to keep operating until July 1, when the company must surrender its breeding license. Ridglan can keep selling dogs to research labs until then.
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Last week, a company spokesman told FOX6 Investigators it still has more than 2,200 dogs on site.
Ridglan Farms under pressure; activists plan large-scale dog rescue
Animal rights activists say they may carry out a mass "open rescue" of dogs at Ridglan Farms, arguing animals remain at risk before the breeder surrenders its license by July 1.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 Investigators.