Evers declines meeting with Ridglan Farms activists following the group's request
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) — Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers says he will not meet with activists calling for the release of beagles from Ridglan Farms. The governor responded after a group of protesters gathered at the state Capitol on Monday. More than 100 people attended, urging Evers to direct the attorney general to serve a search warrant on the beagle breeding and testing facility. Activists allege the facility is torturing and mistreating nearly 2,000 dogs in its care. Evers said he understands the concerns but pushed back on calls for immediate executive action.
“I understand the importance of peoples concerns and hopefully we can get to a better place but the idea somehow that the governor is going to wave a magic wand and all of this is going to go away just isn’t accurate,” Evers said.
The governor also said he does not have the legal authority to intervene and wants to allow the legal process to proceed.
“The judge made some recommendations and put it in the hands of some other people who have created some things that have to happen by this July,” Evers said.
One of the leaders of this activist group, Wayne Hsiung, was released Tuesday after being arrested on charges tied to a March 15 break-in at the facility. Following his release, he shared why he feels the state needs to get involved by siting violations he says several state agency found at the facility.
“Let’s talk about the specifics found by the judge found by the VEB, the Veterinary Examining Board, found by the Department of Agriculture -- hardly an ally to animal advocates all these state agencies found these gruesome abuses of dogs horrific torture of dogs,” Hsiung the co-founder of Direct Action Everywhere said.
According to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, Ridglan Farms has until July to surrender its state breeding license and cease selling beagles for laboratory experimentation to avoid criminal charges. Activists argue that intervention by the attorney general could speed up the process.
“It is a case the frankly would be a winner for him you know who doesn’t love politicians who help dogs right,” Hsiung said. “This should be an easy answer and my explanation for why action hasn’t happened is money.”
Evers also said he remains in discussions with Republican legislative leaders at the Capitol on banning partisan gerrymandering, adding that final details are still being worked out. The Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs did not respond to a request for comment by deadline. Ridglan Farms maintains it is not guilty of the allegations.
