Speaking Through Action: Open Rescue as Moral Assertion

Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin breeds beagles for scientific research and has faced animal activism for about a decade. Activists broke into the facility in mid-March, removing thirty dogs, with eight later recovered by police. Activists then announced a larger planned return, including a specific date and public sign-ups. On April 18, police met the group and used tear gas, rubber bullets, and other less-lethal munitions to repel the attempted invasion. No dogs were saved that day, but within two weeks Ridglan agreed to surrender most beagles to rescue groups in exchange for an undisclosed sum. The removals continued, with hope that remaining dogs would be placed in family homes rather than sold to laboratories. Open rescue involves removing animals without permission to prevent harm, without hiding identities, and often seeking arrest to defend actions in court.

"Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin is a breeder of beagles for scientific research. It's been a target of animal activism for about a decade, as the philosopher Aaron Yarmel details here. In mid-March of this year, activists broke into Ridglan and, in broad daylight, removed thirty of the two thousand dogs who were housed there at that time. Eight of those dogs were later recovered by police."

"After that raid, activists audaciously announced and widely publicized an intention to return to the facility about a month later to remove all of Ridglan's dogs. A specific date was announced. There was even a website where anyone could sign up to join the action. I was one of the hundreds of activists who participated in that second, much larger, action."

"When we arrived at Ridglan Farms on the morning of April 18, police were there to meet us. Using tear gas, guns loaded with rubber bullets, and other "less-lethal munitions," the police successfully repelled our attempt to invade Ridglan Farms. No dogs were saved that day. But less than two weeks later, Ridglan agreed-in exchange for an undisclosed sum of money-to surrender a substantial majority of their beagles to rescue groups."

"This was an instance of what's known as open rescue. In an open rescue, activists go into a place where animals are being harmfully used-say, a farm, slaughterhouse, laboratory, or breeding facility-and remove the animals without permission of their legal owners. What makes it an open rescue is that the animals are being rescued from threat of harm; what makes it an open rescue is that the rescuers do not hide their identities and do not intend to "get away with" what they are doing. In many cases, open rescuers seek arrest and prosecution in order to defend their actions in court."

Read at Apaonline