BREAKING NEWS: UnchainedTV is LIVE for the first court appearance of of 47 animal rights activists who could each face 12 years in prison if convicted of felony burglary in connection with the open rescue of beagles from Wisconsin’s Ridglan Farms, the now shuttered breeding facility that produced beagles for experimentation.
Outside the Dane County Courthouse in Madison, Wisconsin, a high-stakes press conference is about to start ahead of the mass arraignment featuring US Congressman Mark Pocan who has been harshly critical of the use of animals in experimentation. One of the defendants is the former employee turned whistleblower whose asserted under oath that painful surgeries were performed on dogs without anesthesia by non-veterinarians. The defendants say they only went in and rescued the beagles because law enforcement did not, despite repeated requests.
Critics argue the mass prosecutions are a severe waste of money. Some claim it could cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
The urgency of today's proceedings will be further underscored by alarming new allegations made by the Beagle Freedom Project, asserting that most of the dogs examined from Ridglan exhibited abnormal veterinary conditions, ranging from severe dental decay and skin issues to profound trauma. For its part, Ridglan has denied all allegations of animal cruelty, insisting they operated within the law and government regulations. Ridglan representatives are invited on any time to respond further.
As 47 defendants will prepare to face a judge—some in person and others via Zoom, the eyes of the nation will turn to Madison. This trial will be poised to test not just the legality of open rescue, but the future of animal testing in America.
Press conference speakers:
U.S. Representative Mark Pocan
Wisconsin State Representative Randy Udell
Dane County Supervisor Michele Ritt
UW-Madison Data Science Professor Christina Kendriorski

Livestream of court proceedings:
WHERE:
Dane County Courthouse
215 Hamilton St. 
Courtroom 1A
Madison, WISCONSIN