At the end of last week, something extraordinary took place in Dane County, Wisconsin: a local government body did what few dare to do—it took a stand against the impunity with which the animal research industry operates.

By a vote of 30 to 5 (with two abstentions), the Dane County Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 2025-119, calling on the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to investigate Ridglan—and, as warranted, revoke its state-issued breeding license.

This Resolution may not have the force of law, but it has something else—something almost as powerful: it carries the force of collective will.

It represents a loud, public, and principled declaration that those who illegally harm sentient beings must be called to account.

And, it marks a line in the sand drawn by elected officials who heard from their constituents, examined the evidence, and chose to stand with the victims of exploitation—not their exploiters.

The vote wasn’t even close: over 80% of the Board voted in favor of the Resolution, despite last-ditch efforts by Ridglan’s inner circle to derail it.

Suspended veterinarian Richard Van Domelen appeared in person to plead with the Board not to act. So did Ridglan’s business manager, Pam Burke, who attempted to deflect from the issue at hand with emotional appeals about her husband’s cancer diagnosis. And Ridglan’s hired gun—longtime animal research industry mouthpiece Jim Newman—joined them before the Executive Committee. 

But, this time, none of it worked.

Ridglan’s tired deflections, emotional diversions, and brazen propaganda weren’t convincing.

The Board saw through the spin and rejected the narratives Ridglan has clung to for year—the myth that it’s all a misunderstanding, that the real culprits are “crazy animal activists,” that accountability is somehow unfair. 

And, that’s a very big deal—especially because the truth is still unfolding.

Also last week, Rise for Animals filed new complaints with DATCP and the Wisconsin Veterinary Examining Board (VEB), asking both bodies to investigate even more potential misconduct by Ridglan.

Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVIs) obtained by Rise and The Marty Project bear Van Domelen’s signature—and tell a story that doesn’t appear to add up: 

Two separate CVIs filed months apart in 2023 list 17 of the same animal ID numbers—IDs that, by regulation, are supposed to be unique to individual dogs. 

Per official records filed by Ridglan with the State, then, Ridglan sold and shipped 17 dogs—who they claimed would not be returning to Wisconsin—twice: first to Altasciences, and, then, several months later, to Charles River.

This suggests that at least one of these official records—which bear attestations by the same Ridglan veterinarian whose license was recently suspended in part due to inadequate recordkeeping—may be inaccurate. And, it raises new questions for the State to ask about Ridglan’s compliance with applicable regulations.

In the meantime, Ridglan’s defenders may still be standing tall, but they seem scared.

That’s why a suspended veterinarian, a weeping business manager, and a corporate spin doctor all showed up at a local government meeting to oppose a non-binding resolution.

The Dane County Board of Supervisors saw through their propaganda and took a stand with their victims.

Now, it’s time DATCP’s and VEB’s turn to act with conviction—not in the enablement of an embattled institution, but in the enforcement of the very laws and standards they exist to uphold.

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