SUMMARY: A notorious recent case of animal abuse reminds us to treat animals with fairness and compassion.
Last year, Ridglan Farms, a livestock breeder in Wisconsin, was accused of abusing beagles in their facility. Activists around the country stood up to fight against this cruelty. Ridglan Farms, although denying the accusation, was breeding beagles with the intention of selling them to labs for medical testing. The mistreatment of animals by farms like these and by medical corporations should not be ignored, and the efforts of activists show that we can make a difference.
I have seen a lot of news about this on social media, and I took the time to read up on articles to learn more. Ridglan Farms had about 2,000 beagles held in their facility. Over the past few months, hundreds of activists have attempted to infiltrate the farm and rescue the dogs. They were able to rescue a couple of them, but police interference limited their efforts.
The police in the area have said that the protesters were violent in their attempts to enter and were aggressive towards police as well. This led to officers using tear gas and rubber bullets against them. Numerous people were arrested and face charges for their efforts. The police action in this case is ridiculously excessive. We, as people, should not let animals be treated this way. Fortunately, in April, Big Dog Ranch Rescue, a dog rescue center, purchased 1,500 of the 2,000 beagles that were held. It is currently working to provide them with vaccines, microchips, neuters, and homes where they will be treated well.
I checked the adoption page on Big Dog Branch Rescue’s website a couple of times, and it seems that most–if not all–of the beagles are all set for adoption. This is great news. There are still 500 dogs in Ridglan Farms’ possession, but activists are still fighting for their release. Additionally, since the mistreatment was exposed, Ridglan Farms has received a ton of backlash, and they are legally required to give up their breeding license by July, meaning that they will not be able to sell dogs to labs anymore.
Animals hold a special place in everyone’s hearts, as most people have had pets before or simply enjoy them. They are innocent creatures and should be treated well. It is good to see people coming together against animal cruelty, and the fact that activists succeeded in liberating the beagles shows that our efforts matter. In the future, I hope that people continue to work against abusive farms and corporations, and that we learn to recognize and work against injustice all around the world.
Uthman Guadalupe is a Latino Muslim college student with a passion for history and art. He is an assistant Brazilian Jiu Jitsu coach and freelance illustrator. He is fluent in Spanish and lives with his family in Maryland where he also enjoys playing video games and binging shows.
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