Hi John,

The first quarter of 2025 has been a period of tremendous progress and impact for our animal rights work. Here’s a breakdown of what we’ve accomplished over the past three months:

The Fight Against Ridglan Farms:

In January, Judge Rhonda Lanford granted a motion for a special prosecutor in the case against Ridglan Farms, the notorious beagle breeding and experimentation facility in Dane County, Wisconsin. This means there is probable cause that Ridglan Farms has committed criminal animal cruelty, and the local District Attorney has failed to act. The decision generated significant positive press coverage and even inspired a Wisconsin State Senator to commit to working on new legislation to combat cruelty at Ridglan Farms.
By February, La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke accepted the role of special prosecutor, and the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) and DATCP (Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, which licenses Ridglan Farms) visited Ridglan Farms, further heightening scrutiny on the facility. These developments generated additional media coverage and built momentum towards justice for the thousands of beagles suffering at Ridglan Farms.
In March, the campaign gained massive public support, bolstered by a powerful opinion piece co-written by Jane Goodall and Marc Bekoff in The Washington Post, along with a series of long-form investigative news segments by Milwaukee’s local Fox station. They took viewer comments and questions and the number one question viewers submitted was “How can we help the dogs?,” indicating growing public opposition to Ridglan Farms.

Gearing Up For Our 5th ‘Right to Rescue’ Trial:

DxE investigator and animal rescuer Zoe Rosenberg is facing 5 years in prison for rescuing four criminally abused chickens from a slaughterhouse. Her trial starts in six weeks!
We’ve been busy behind the scenes preparing for trial, including organizing the surrounding Perdue Rescue Trial Convergence and Animal Liberation Conference, which will take place in Santa Rosa, California as the trial unfolds. Nearly 400 people are registered to attend! If you can join us in person, please sign up here. Simultaneously, Zoe has been on a speaking tour discussing her upcoming trial and the importance and impact of open rescue.
In March, Zoe had her final arraignment before trial (covered by the media) and her judge set a date of April 8th for Zoe and her lawyer to file critical motions, including a motion to use the necessity defense, and a subpoena seeking additional evidence. Stay tuned for updates on that next week!

Campaigning Hard Against Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry:

The corporation at the heart of the upcoming trial is Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry, which has been repeatedly exposed for criminally abusing animals and endangering public health.
Throughout the quarter, we escalated our campaign against them with the goal of removing their pillars of support and ultimately shutting them down, getting us one step closer to ending all factory farming in California.
We held over 40 actions, including overnight vigils, protests at restaurants and grocery stores that source from Perdue’s Petaluma Poultry, and demonstrations at the homes of key executives. Collectively, hundreds of activists mobilized to support this campaign and it was covered numerous times in media outlets across California.
Videos about the campaign and the trial were viewed 40 million times in this quarter, leading celebrities like Paris Hilton to chime in and express her horror at the conditions inside Perdue’s facilities.
March saw a particularly intense escalation, with activists protesting for five straight days at Perdue’s headquarters in Salisbury, Maryland, leading the company to erect fences and employ heavy surveillance tactics. The protests received ongoing media coverage, amplifying our message.

This is just the beginning, and we have no plans of stopping until we achieve our goals. If you’re feeling inspired, please consider becoming a monthly donor to our supporting non-profit today! Trial is just around the corner and monthly donations are vital during these uncertain times.

Whether you’re chanting loudly inside a Trader Joe’s, solemnly bearing witness at a slaughterhouse, sharing social media posts with your friends and family, or contributing financially, our campaigns are made possible by ordinary people like you. Thank you for being part of this powerful network for change.

In solidarity,
Almira

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