Rescue the Ridglan Dogs: Mass Nonviolent Action

Join hundreds of ordinary people at this nonviolent vigil and rescue effort to save the Ridglan dogs from imminent torture or death. NOTE: you must attend the upcoming Defending Compassion Summit and receive training in animal care and nonviolence to participate in any efforts to rescue the dogs. (Find more details on this training at savethedogs.io) For decades, Ridglan Farms, the second-largest beagle breeding and research facility in the nation, has quietly sent tens of thousands of dogs to gruesome deaths—committing hundreds of acts of felony animal abuse in the process. The Ridglan dogs are force-fed toxic chemicals, cut apart like pieces of food, and injected with dangerous diseases such as rabies. But that cruelty was exposed when nonviolent animal rescuers entered the facility and documented the conditions, and saved a blind beagle puppy from likely death in the process. And partly based on the footage they shot, the government conceded that Ridglan has engaged in hundreds of counts of felony animal abuse, including performing surgeries on dogs without anesthesia. However, even as Ridglan's business faces unprecedented scrutiny and condemnation, including in an op-ed published by Jane Goodall in the Washington Post, the government has refused to help the dogs. And the dogs will be killed or sent off in experiments by a deadline of July 1 as a result of a “stipulation” the government reached with the company. Thousands of puppies face imminent torture or death—unless we act. In this mass nonviolent action, we will call on the authorities to join us in rescuing the dogs from Ridglan Farms. The law is on our side. Rescue groups are waiting to help. And a puppy at the facility is trapped and crying from her 2’ x 4’ metal cage. Join our effort to save her and thousands of others—and make history for animal rights. *What is the nature of this action?* We plan to call the authorities on the morning of March 16 and head out with large numbers of ordinary people to Ridglan Farms to ensure that they act to help the dogs. All activists will be instructed in nonviolence, and we will hold white flowers in our hands as we ask the government to do the right thing. If the authorities refuse to act, some activists may be compelled to give aid to the dogs. *Is this action legal?* All actions taken at this vigil will be undertaken consistent with the law. This includes the right to rescue animals in distress in Wisconsin, as set out by a prominent legal scholar at Harvard Law School. *Does that mean no one faces risk of arrest?* Sadly, the local authorities have, for nearly a decade, ignored reports of felony animal abuse and chosen to prosecute peaceful animal advocates instead. At any demonstration, there is a risk of arrest. This is one of the reasons we are asking you to attend the Defending Compassion Summit to receive training in nonviolence, based on the methods used by the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. *Why are you waiting until March? Don’t the dogs need help now?* We have found that the authorities will not respond to anything other than public pressure. That, in turn, depends on a well-organized and well-attended demonstration. We believe mobilizing on this date maximizes our chance to have a successful demonstration. However, if circumstances change, and action becomes unnecessary (or more urgent), you will receive notice about any change.