April 19 (UPI) -- About two dozen animal activists were arrested, while more were pepper-sprayed as they attempted to free 2,000 beagles from a Wisconsin facility licensed to breed them for biomedical testing Saturday.
USA Today cited Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett as saying between 300 and 400 protesters were "violently trying to break in" to Ridglan Farms in Blue Mountain in an attempt to remove the dogs.
Barrett said they also blocked emergency services on the road outside in the process.
A Ridglan representative said one motorist was arrested for driving a pickup truck through a fence, nearly running over security, police and bystanders.
This weekend's action had been planned for weeks so law enforcement and the facility were prepared.
