Index

#Ridglan8: The March 2026 Open Rescue

Open rescueCharges pendingMarch 15, 2026 · Ridglan Farms, Blue Mounds, WI
~30
beagles removed
22 brought to safety
8
dogs intercepted
Returned to Ridglan by law enforcement
27
people arrested
Including Hsiung and Alexandra Paul
July 2026
license surrender deadline
Per October 2025 settlement
Why This Matters
This rescue happened after the October 2025 settlement requiring Ridglan to surrender its USDA license by July 2026. The coalition argued that the settlement still allowed Ridglan to continue selling dogs to laboratories before the deadline — meaning dogs were still entering labs during the wind-down period.

The Action

On March 15, 2026, a group led by Wayne Hsiung — acting independently and not affiliated with Dane4Dogs — entered Ridglan Farms. Approximately 30 beagles were removed from the facility.

Law enforcement intercepted 8 of the dogs, which were returned to Ridglan. Twenty-two beagles were brought to safety. Twenty-seven people were arrested, including Hsiung and actress Alexandra Paul.

Veterinary Findings

Veterinary exams of the rescued beagles found that “almost all” had severe paw issues — consistent with the effects of wire mesh flooring documented at Ridglan since the 2016 USDA inspection and the 2017 DxE footage. The condition had been cited repeatedly across nearly a decade of inspections and investigations.

The #Ridglan8 Campaign

The Eight Dogs

The 8 beagles intercepted by law enforcement and returned to Ridglan became the #Ridglan8 — a rallying symbol for the campaign. Their return to the facility, after being briefly outside it, concentrated public attention on the gap between the settlement timeline and the dogs' ongoing confinement.

Dane County Sheriff Statement

The Dane County Sheriff reported: 31 dogs taken from the facility, 8 intercepted and returned, and “several others unaccounted for.”

savethedogs.io

A campaign site at savethedogs.io was launched to coordinate public pressure and document the ongoing situation at Ridglan during the wind-down period.

Escalation

On March 21, 2026, Wayne Hsiung called for 2,000 people to attend an April 12 action at Ridglan. The campaign framed the rescue not as a one-time event but as the opening of a sustained pressure campaign to accelerate the facility's closure timeline.

Criminal Charges

Tentative charges reported:

Burglary: Wayne Hsiung, Priya Aswani
Criminal trespassing: Wayne Hsiung, Thomas Wyrzykowski
Full charging decisions pending as of March 2026
Methodology Caveat
This page documents an ongoing legal situation. Charges are tentative, and no defendant has been convicted. Details may change as cases proceed through the courts.