More than 1,650 People Said to Have Signed up to Rescue 2,000 Beagles in Ongoing Open Rescue Drama
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The Open Rescue Drama surrounding about 2,000 beagles confined inside a troubled Wisconsin breeding facility has been getting more intense as animal activists plan a second mass rescue in hopes of removing all the remaining beagles.
Los Angeles, California – April 4th, 2026 – The controversy surrounding experimentation on beagles has come to a dramatic inflection point as animal rights activists now vow to return to the scene of last month’s massive beagle rescue and do it again, this time with even more people. So far, more than 1,650 people have reportedly signed up to rescue the dogs trapped in cages, according to an activist substack page. However, the leader of the rescue movement told the local sheriff that he is open to speaking with him before the date of the planned second mass rescue. Attorney/activist Wayne Hsiung wants to meet with the sheriff presumably to convince him to allow the removal of all the beagles so animal rescue groups can place them up for adoption.
Several years ago, Envigo, another company that bred dogs for experimentation, agreed to shut down after investigators found violations of the Animal Welfare Act. In that case, the Justice Department turned to Humane World for Animals for help, which says, “Over the course of two months, our Animal Rescue Team and partners removed the remaining 3,700 dogs from the facility and transferred them to partners who placed them with adopters.” Animal activists would like to see a similar process followed in the Wisconsin case.
Something Out of a Movie
Attorney Wayne Hsiung & Actress Alexandra Paul
The March 15th, 2026 mass “open rescue” of beagles bred for experimentation was “something out of a movie” according to one of the approximately 100 activists who participated in the event. That dramatic action garnered global media coverage as 30 dogs were removed by teams of activists in white bio-hazard gear resulting in more than two dozen arrests. One of those arrested was former Baywatch actress Alexandra Paul. Attorney Hsiung was also arrested. Both have since been released.
The March event was live streamed by UNCHAINEDTV, whose coverage was prominently featured in this Fox News investigative report on the saga. A key part of the drama was the attempt by law enforcement officers to wrest the beagles from the activists. While authorities did reclaim 8 beagles, 22 other dogs were whisked to safety and remain free and cared for in undisclosed locations.
Live Coverage of the Mass Beagle Rescue Featured by Local News
Calls for a Sequel
Wayne Hsiung’s Interview Upon His Release from Jail in March
New Call to Action by Hsiung Just Released
Hsiung is publicly discussing his new strategy in an open letter sent to supporters, where he declared, “We are fighting back this week with a demand letter that challenges the authorities’ refusal to enforce the animal cruelty laws—even as 1000+ activists prepare to rescue the Ridglan dogs. Our ask in court will be simple: enforce the law, and protect the dogs.” Hsiung adds, “…fueling all of these efforts is a simple idea. When animals are being criminally abused, we have the right to rescue them.”
Hsiung says the facility is guilty of criminal animal cruelty, citing testimony in court alleging that non veterinarians had performed painful surgeries on dogs without anesthesia and that bloodied animals had writhed in pain. Hsiung’s legal team specifically cited, “Dane County Circuit Court Judge Rhonda Lanford, who in January 2025 issued a 23-page decision finding probable cause that Ridglan Farms ‘has committed multiple criminal violations’ of Wisconsin’s animal cruelty laws under Chapter 951.”
The Company’s Response
Ridglan has denounced the reported plans for a second open rescue calling the activists extremists while issuing this statement to news media. “While animal activists have made numerous allegations about Ridglan Farms – a federally licensed health research facility conducting studies that directly benefit dogs – no credible evidence of animal cruelty has ever been presented or substantiated. Nor has any court, agency or investigator ever made a finding of animal cruelty. In fact, the special prosecutor who led the investigation of our facility has publicly referenced significant amounts of misinformation and untrue claims about Ridglan Farms. His investigators also determined the witnesses behind these claims ‘lacked credibility.'”
Activists respond by saying that, in the 21st Century, experimentation on animals is unnecessary and actually holds back medical and scientific progress. They point out that modern technological advances, like artificial intelligence, organs on a chips and other methods, make toxicology and other painful tests on animals irrelevant and out of date. The company is invited on any time to respond further.
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About the Author: Jane Velez-Mitchell
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