Animal activists shrug and press on after a legal setback as a judge blocks subpoenas that could have exposed critical evidence of alleged abuse at Wisconsin’s beagle breeding facility.

Los Angeles, September 15, 2024 — In a controversial legal development, a Dane County, Wisconsin judge has ruled against animal rights activists in a case involving a Wisconsin facility that breeds thousands of beagles for laboratory experiments. The facility, Ridgeland Farms, has been the subject of intense scrutiny after accusations of animal abuse surfaced. Nationally known animal rights investigator Wayne Hsiung and Dane4Dogs, a Milwaukee animal rights organization, seek to hold the company accountable by demanding a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate the facility where thousands of beagles are held at any given time. However, the activists’ attempt to obtain key documents by subpoena was quashed by the court, setting the stage for a larger courtroom battle. UnchainedTV brought viewers the hearing LIVE as it happened, being the pool camera for the court. Host Jane Velez-Mitchell interviewed John Allman, media coordinator for The Simple Heart, and attorney/animal activist Wayne Hsiung, who is a plaintiff in this case, along with being the co-founder of Direct Action Everywhere and president of The Simple Heart.  You can watch the hearing and the interviews here:

Seeking More Evidence of What Happens to Beagles in that Facility

The September 12th, 2024, ruling came after the activists issued subpoenas for records from the facility’s veterinarian and another manager. These documents were intended to bolster their case, alleging criminal animal abuse within the facility. However, the facility’s legal team filed a motion to quash, arguing that the subpoena overreached. The judge agreed, ruling in the company’s favor during a Zoom hearing broadcast live by UnchainedTV.

The animal rights activists were hopeful that subpoenaing the facility’s veterinarian and a key manager would yield critical documents, including medical records and written evidence to back up allegations of  animal abuse, such as alleged surgical mutilation of beagles without anesthesia. However, the judge’s decision to quash the subpoenas means such critical evidence will remain hidden for now.

The company’s attorney argued: “Permitting discovery…  would allow a petitioner to file a petition seeking a criminal complaint against a particular party, regardless of whether there is sufficient evidentiary support, and then seek discovery from that party in an effort to support the petition.”

You can watch  an interview about this case during a previous hearing in April:

A Five-Year Fight for Justice

The case traces back to 2017 when Wayne Hsiung, who is also a former constitutional law professor, entered the Wisconsin breeding facility with two other activists and rescued three beagles whom the activists said were in severe distress. They went in with cameras rolling and documented cage after cage of beagles, some of whom appeared to be, frantically, trying to get out. Another spun inside a cage. The activists were initially charged with felonies that could have led to more than a decade in prison. However, in a surprising turn of events, all charges were suddenly dropped just before the trial was set to start in March of 2024, reportedly at the company’s request. Rather than celebrating, Hsiung expressed disappointment, stating that he wanted his day in court to advocate for the abused animals. If the company and authorities in Wisconsin thought they’d seen the last of Wayne Hsiung and his supporters, they were badly mistaken.

Alongside Dane4Dogs, Hsiung filed a 101-page petition demanding  a special prosecutor to investigate the facility, alleging violations of Wisconsin’s animal cruelty laws. The petition reads:

“The facts presented… would unquestionably be criminal animal abuse if undertaken by an ordinary citizen… The question facing this court is whether, after years of governmental inaction, corporations also will be held accountable to the law.”

You can watch an earlier interview with Wayne Hsiung, just after his charges were dropped, here:

What’s Next?

This legal hurdle is a significant setback for the activists, but the fight is far from over. A major hearing is scheduled for October 23, 2024, where the activists will continue pushing for a special prosecutor. The court’s upcoming decision will be pivotal in determining whether the facility will ever face criminal charges.

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Despite this ruling, Wayne Hsiung and his legal team remain determined to seek justice for the thousands of beagles housed at the facility. Wayne Hsiung said:

“The industry is always trying to suppress, quash, and hold everything in the dark so no one can see what’s happening inside their closed doors, because it’s scary when the public actually sees what happens. And even the documents we sought to obtain, there’s a reason they were fighting so hard… to prevent these very basic documents from getting out into the public.”

The company involved is invited on UnchainedTV at any time to comment.

Check out this show and more at UnchainedTV.