BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. (Michigan News Source) – Princess Peach Hope Grace Dodd and 2114 other former Ridglan Farms laboratory Beagles have a new life, but freedom hasn’t come without a price. Princess Peach has battled infections, damaged paws, dental disease, severe allergies and psychological trauma after spending nearly seven years confined at the Wisconsin facility.
Her adoptive mother, Kim-Anne Dodd, says Peach has required extensive veterinary treatment, with medical expenses reportedly reaching $15,000.
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Dodd also says her veterinarian told her Peach would already be dead if she hadn’t escaped her former life. Now, the people who fought to free dogs like Peach are facing criminal charges, including two Michigan men who could spend years behind bars.
Michigan Men Face Felony Charges
Douglas S. Moeller, 60, of Ann Arbor, and Curtis A. Vollmar, 39, of Ferndale, are among 51 animal rights advocates charged in connection with efforts to remove beagles from Ridglan Farms in the township of Blue Mounds, Wisconsin in March of this year.
Both face Class F felony burglary charges as parties to a crime following a March 15 operation in which activists removed approximately 22 beagles bred for laboratory research.
According to the criminal complaint, Moeller entered the property through damaged fencing and was later detained near a building activists were attempting to enter. Prosecutors allege Vollmar transferred a crate containing two beagles from a disabled rescue van into his Tesla.
Each man faces a maximum sentence of 12-1/2 years in prison and a $25,000 fine if convicted.
Moeller and others have alleged horrific conditions for the Beagles at the facility including Ridglan staff removing the dogs’ vocal cords and eye glands without anesthesia in addition to medical injuries from being confined in small, wire cages, accumulated feces and urine, inadequate ventilation, dogs exhibiting psychological distress (repetitive spinning and pacing against cage walls), inadequate veterinary care and more.
Rescue Organizer Wayne Hsiung Faces Up to 31 Years in Prison
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According to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, approximately 50 to 60 protesters entered Ridglan Farms on March 15, 2026. Among them was Wayne Hsiung, 45, an attorney and longtime animal rights activist who co-founded Direct Action Everywhere and helped organize the operation. Hsiung faces criminal charges stemming from the incident. Prosecutors allege he helped gain entry to the property, and video evidence reportedly shows him attempting to pry open a metal door with a crowbar. Hsiung has pleaded not guilty and has indicated that he intends to represent himself in court. He faces up to 31 years in prison if convicted on all counts. His trial is scheduled for January 2027.
Rescuers or Criminals?
The activists say they were attempting to save dogs from conditions they believed were abusive. Ridglan Farms previously denied allegations of animal cruelty. However, the facility reached an agreement with prosecutors in 2025 to surrender its state dog-breeding license rather than face criminal prosecution. By August 2026, Ridglan Farms had permanently closed, and rescue organizations had secured the release of more than 2,100 beagles. But the criminal cases against the activists continue.
Court Hearings Ahead
Forty-seven defendants made initial court appearances October 19 and are scheduled for preliminary hearings Wednesday, October 28, unless waived. Four additional defendants face separate proceedings, with a trial scheduled for January 2027. All charges remain allegations, and neither Michigan defendant has been convicted.
Prosecutors Want Evidence of Dogs’ Conditions Kept Out of Court
Amazingly, prosecutors are asking a Dane County judge to limit what jurors can hear about Ridglan Farms during the upcoming trial of four defendants, including rescue organizer Wayne Hsiung. According to pretrial motions filed September 28, the state wants to exclude evidence concerning the laboratory’s animal welfare conditions, the health of the beagles and even alleged or confirmed regulatory violations at the facility. The filing also seeks to prevent jurors from hearing about disciplinary actions taken by the Wisconsin Veterinary Examining Board involving Dr. Richard Van Domelen, a former veterinarian at Ridglan Farms.
Prosecutors argue that none of those circumstances would legally justify the defendants’ actions. In other words, jurors could be asked to decide whether the rescuers broke the law without hearing much about the very conditions that allegedly motivated them to remove the dogs. The motion specifically concerns Hsiung and three other defendants, while the remaining 47 activists face separate court proceedings. The judge has not yet issued a publicly reported ruling on what evidence will be allowed, and it remains unclear whether prosecutors will seek similar restrictions in the other cases.
Peach’s Family Calls for Charges to Be Dropped
Dodd is urging supporters to contact Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne and request dismissal of the charges.
“I understand that laws exist. I understand that actions have consequences,” she wrote. “But I also believe that compassion, mercy, and the circumstances behind those actions MUST matter.”
She is asking supporters to contact the prosecutor respectfully at danecoda@da.wi.gov or 608-266-4211.
For Dodd, the issue is personal. Peach finally has a loving home, and she believes those who fought for dogs like her deserve compassion rather than prison.
